Blood is Thicker Than Ectoplasm
by ElusiveVisionary
Summary: Taylor and Danny's tense relationship is put to the test when Sam, Tucker and Mike are captured by Vlad and a team of deadly villains. With only a faded piece of parchment to guide them, they must go into territory only seen by ghosts to get their friends
1. Disturbance

**Notes: A sequel to The Third Ghost Hybrid His Foolishness Created**

**Disclaimer:** I officially do not claim Danny Phantom!

**Chapter One:**

**Disturbance**

* * *

Deep within the Ghost Zone. . . behind the doors of a million realms, away from the dark and dingy cities within it, trouble was brewing. All around thunder was crashing, and the heavens swirled menacingly . . .and only one pair of human eyes were viewing this brilliant catastrophe, and he was hidden in the shadows of his own body, listening, his eyes fixed on a spot ahead. 

He wouldn't be disappointed.

The green slithering plasma of the ghost zone opened abruptly, a human portal leading outwards into it. Three tall ghosts faded in, their skin a pasty white, their eyes black, but in the center a horrible red, as cold as flame. They wore long black flowing robes, as though not posessing legs. One aimed his sallow face at the other two and smirked contemptuously. "Somehow feeding on humans is not as fun as it used to be. .. " His voice was soft, barely a hiss. He sounded like a demented snake, and his forked tongue flickered with amusement.

"Truly a waste of time. .. their blood didn't even taste fresh. . ." agreed another. His face matched the first in many ways, only his teeth were pointy and menacing, and his lips were purple and bruised as though he had been dead many years. However, beneath his very pale exterior he was quite unnaturally handsome, as though some being had graced eternal beauty upon him, beauty unmarred by the unforgiving kiss of death.

"And what a shame it was, to take such a young girls life." The other added, though his voice held no remorse or apathy. He was even handsomer than the one before.They all laughed cruelly, their voiced demonic and crazed, radiating all around them, turning the area stale.

The first one stopped. "Hush Amathis, Lucentar. . ." he commanded, his incredible, yet so very horrible red eyes darting around suspiciously. He knew he heard something, the sound of a human heart, but there was no one in sight.

"What is it Centaro?" Amathis, the second ghost asked.

"Something here. . .something _human_." he answered, his snakelike eyes narrowing to slits. "Just there." He pointed ahead to blank space.

What materialized was tall, green skin ghost. His raven hair crowned his quite handsome face, and horrible red eyes stared at them fearlessly. "Hello gentlemen. . . ." his voice was oddly human like, and he sneered evilly.

Centaro became confused. He was a ghost for sure, but somewhere within him he could hear the dull beating of a heart. There was no way he could ever trust him, but Centaro was interested in what he wanted. Serpent Ghosts never could resist a good deal.

"What is it you seek?" he asked.

Vlad Plasmius's smile became broader. "Somehow, I knew I would find you here. . . just out to lunch, I'm sure?" Amathis and Lecentar cackled evilly, finding this stranger to be just their type of ghost, someone they could open a few bottles of blood with, they were sure.

Centaro flashed his fangs at Vlad. "Indeed, brother, but tell us, who are you?"

"I. . . am Vlad Plasmius. . . " his cape fell around him regally, and his tone of voice carried great arrogance, and for a reason. Vlad was very very important, and he made no mistake about it. Power was his for the taking, and he would always indulge in it.

"Vlad Plasmius. .. the one who has the key to all dimensions?" Amathis's eyes widened in amazement. Surely this could not be the ghost they had heard about in dark, dusty pubs.

"Indeed, and I'm here to make all of you an offer. . . an offer so great, I am sure you wouldn't want to lose it."

Centaro sniffed with his snake-like nostrils. He smelled dishonesty. "And why should we trust you?"

"Because I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams. . . a _key _to the world if you will."

Their bright red eyes seemed to flame now. Their interest was peaked, and they were willing to make an offer with the ghost, under any condition.

"Alright, what are these conditions." Lucentar demanded.

"Very very simple. . . that you two capture a few pawns- I mean, _children_ for me."

Centaro raised a thin eyebrow. "Children? You want us to capture _children?"_

"Children that are guarded constantly by their friends. . ."

"Some friends they must be. . ." Amethis snorted.

"Indeed; Taylor Specter and Danny Phantom."

The snakes weren't laughing now, and they became serious. " The two goodie goodie halfas?"

"The same two, and they won't like it if their best friends go missing, now will they?"

"We can get their friends. . . " Centaro imagined the taste of their hot sweet blood, and their screams as they bit them and filled them with ecto-venom. He hissed in excitement.

"And how will we do that if they are there? We certainly aren't risking our second skins." Lucentar crossed his arms defiantly and looked away.

"I'll take care of distracting them, but you. . .you bring these two to me."

Vlad held out his gloved hand and two glowing figures materialized into green flame. One was shorter and thin, with high cheek bones and deep eyes. "Sam Manson. . ." the other was a bit taller with a backwards cap and a relaxed expression, " and Tucker Foley. . ." He closed his hand and the figures disappeared.

"They live in Amity Park. . ."

Centaro inhaled deeply. " I can already taste their blood. . ." he expressed excitedly.

"There will be no drinking of their blood or biting them. . ." Vlad looked at them all firmly. "Is that clear?"

They thought of the key, and shook their heads reluctantly.

"And you are not to harm Taylor Specter in any way at all. . . as a matter of fact, we will do the opposite. . ." Vlad smirked evilly. The other's didn't quite understand, but Vlad knew in time that they would.

"Now, get to work. . . you know where to find my castle don't you?" The snakes could read minds,and suddenly could picture the tall ghostly castle deep within the ghost zone, passed its most dangerous cities.

"We will. .. Master."

Vlad smirked, and watched as the ghosts disappeared with a flash.

"Indeed you will, my most efficient pawns. . "Vlad drawled, turning around with a flash of his cape.

"Indeed you will. . ."

* * *

**Comments From Elusive: **

That was the very first chapter to my story, short yes, but very informative. Read and review, tell me what you would like to see improve and what else you would like to see!


	2. Power Struggle

**Disclaimer:** Yes. You've heard it a million times before, and guess what?You're going to hear it again. . . I do not own Danny Phantom.Oh, and I also don't own MasterCard or Visa. . .Well, THAT disclaimer was new!

**Chapter Two**

**Power Struggle **

* * *

It was a warm spring day in Amity Park. March had bought cool gusts of wind to ruffle the various flowers that poked their way out of the green grass. Kids retreated to the outdoors more than ever, leaving the dusty indoors to settle with the wood. It was no surprise that during lunch hour everyone was sitting outside, on the worn wooden benches that cluttered the school's courtyard. Sam and Tucker were sitting across from each other, playing with their food absently. They had a case of spring fever that even Sam couldn't deny. Taylor and Danny however were busy scarffing down their salads. They hadn't had time to eat dinner last night; Skulker had paid them a nice visit.

Spring break was looming closer and closer, making the students of Casper High feel even more anxious than before. All around them students with brown bagged lunches sat idly, dreams of football, hotdogs, and weekends at the lake dancing in their eyes. Taylor personally couldn't wait. Danny invited her, Sam, and Tucker on a weeklong camping trip. Hiking along wood cluttered trails, swimming in deep blue lakes, and climbing the tallest trees was great, but what made the said trip even more exciting was that there were to be no parents around. After a few months of clumsy driving, Danny had mastered the art of driving a car. It was a beat up Toyota, but something about the smell of the grass on the worn tires just screamed freedom.

Taylor felt the cool green of the leafy salad in her mouth. She loved mint, parsley, and green bell peppers the most. To her they tasted like spring. To top her ingenious salad off, she made a lemon mint dressing. On the salad were tender pieces of chicken she'd marinated in lemon and spices, and it tasted delicious. Even Danny wouldn't be able to deny that it was superb, which was why she packed him one for lunch.

She looked to Danny, watching as his large blue eyes curiously took in his salad. A small smile tugged at her lips, and she leaned on her hand, watching as his reddened lips smacked together. He was enjoying his food, and it was actually_ healthy_ food. She just _had_ to rub this in his face.

"I'm glad to see you're finally eating healthier Danny." Taylor noted casually at her friend who was pouring more of her dressing onto his salad. He glanced back up at her and swallowed his food.

"Ha ha Taylor . . . very funny." He smirked at her and wiped off his mouth.

"You have to admit that you have more energy, at least." she tried to bargain. Trying to get her friends to see the light side of the food pyramid had been difficult, but so far she was gaining small victories every day. She wanted to believe it was because of her speeches about whole grains, but somehow she knew it was because they didn't want to hear her nag them anymore.

"I can admit that." Danny was going to be reasonable today.

"And speaking of which . . . I think we're going to need it." he added, his eyes drifting to a place above Taylor's head.

Dash was lumbering toward them with an evil smirk on his face. The sun was shining on his freshly ironed letterman's jacket, something he'd earned from a mixture of protein shakes and hardcore cheating. She could practically smell his sweat, mixed in with a minty scent, most likely some overrated cologne. There was something unsettling about his presence, even more so than usual. Something was wrong, and Taylor knew it immediately. She could feel the negative energy radiating off him. It might just be a new ghost power, but she couldn't worry about that now.

"Hey look! It's Fentoad and the nerd squad!" he spat in his nasal voice, stopping to stand right behind Taylor, who turned around to glare at him. Dash looked down at her and he slowly frowned. He had very mixed feelings about the new girl, Taylor Hecter. For one thing, she was very pretty. She wasn't as stunning as Paulina; Taylor being so thin took something away from her beauty, but she was still in the popular range, which was why he couldn't understand her very obvious affection for Fentoad and the nerds. The other reason was that like an unskilled animal, Dash had instincts. He could sense a threat a mile away, and Taylor sent the alarm ringing in his head. She looked evil now, and her glare made him shiver inwardly.

"Don't look at me ugly!" he spat at her. She remained unfazed, and the cold look never left her eyes. Beside her the two nerds, Sam and Tucker, looked up with irritation.

"What do you want Dash?" Danny said defensively, crossing his arms and scowling. He wasn't in the mood for Dash's crap, especially being so tired and hungry.

"Me and the guys were thinking about practicing for the big game tonight! And we need a tackle dummy." he trailed off suggestively, looking at Danny like a solid object.

Like Taylor, Fentoad was confusing. He fought back with him all the time, even though his biceps were about the width of Dash's own wrist. Dash never got when Danny would help him, especially after he would be so nasty. There could only be one reason why someone would behave like Fenton, and that was craziness. Dash hated crazy people.

"Then go to the gym geniuses." Sam perked up, coming out of her stupor.

"No, we want to practice out here, and I think we've found the perfect _dummy!"_

"You can say that again. . "Taylor muttered darkly, her eyes turning red a brief moment. An evil smirk slowly formed on her face as she stood up. Some kids around them had taken notice and formed a small circle around the group. Taylor disappeared into the crowd, and Danny looked after her helplessly. Some of the football players came up behind Dash, fists pounding into their beefy hands.

"And Fentoad bites the dust." Dash squeaked nasally, slowly moving toward Danny. Danny gritted his teeth and looked toward a nervous Sam and Tucker.

This was not good.

Just moments of now he would feel horrible pain. . . no doubt a bloody nose. Danny wouldn't give in. He kept his eyes on Dash's much larger body with determination. His shadow loomed closer and closer, and his beefy face was scrunched up into a wide, evil grin.

Then something happened, something strange. Dash stiffened for a minute, his body going rigid. He twisted and turned and gagged, spitting and spatting, seeming to choke. Then he hit the floor, hands pounding on the grass as though he was fighting. All of the sudden he was still. And when he looked up his eyes had turned a bright red. He grinned sinisterly, and looked back at his football friends.

"No, Fenton isn't a good target today! I think I'll tackle you guys instead!" came Taylor's echoing voice from out of Dash. Danny watched, stunned as Dash ran toward his friends. He tackled one, causing them all to fall one by one like dominoes. Her evil echoing laughter trailed out of Dash's body as the whole school watched the jocks fall into a perfectly neat pile. Then, Dash fell back, eyes turning back to their normal shade.

"Ugh. . ." he groaned tiredly, sitting up. What faced him were several angry football players.

"What happened?" he choked out. They responded by slowly getting up, each one of them as mad as the next. Everyone in the courtyard began to laugh, waves of it floating all around them as Dash pulled on his hair, scared. Danny felt a smile spread across his face, and he heard an amused whisper against his ear.

"I wonder how well Dash can fight?" came Taylor's smooth voice. Danny turned around to see her standing behind him, hair messy, dark circles beneath her eyes as she smiled sinisterly. Danny's smile faded as he noticed how sick and suddenly demented she looked.

"Taylor. .. are you okay?"

She looked over at him, a smile gracing her lips. "I am _now._"

She pulled on Danny's hand, beckoning Sam and Tucker to follow.

"Let's get out of here. .. let the idiots fight among themselves." she muttered.

Once they were out of earshot, Sam casted an enraged look at Taylor. "What is _wrong_ with you? They could have seen something!"

Tucker and Danny however were still laughing.

"Oh man, that was the best." Tucker stated with an approving nod to Taylor. She looked very pleased, and was starting to regain some of her color.

Danny grinned down at her and wrapped his arm around her lovingly. "You never cease to amaze me, you know that?"

Taylor turned a slight shade of red. "I couldn't let anyone bother my Danny now could I?"

Sam rolled her eyes at her two friends. "Well the point is, you can't _do _that anymore."

"Why not?" she asked with a pout. "It isn't like anyone will discover it's _me_." she added, her eyes glowing red for a brief moment before settling back to their brown shade.

"It doesn't matter. .. it just feels . . . _wrong_." Sam explained with a shiver. Suddenly the air around them was cold.

"If you only_ knew _what it felt like, then you could understand." Taylor gave same one of her signature looks of evil, then turned back to Danny.

Sam looked at Taylor with disease. She knew there was something dark inside of her, and it was times like these where it would surface. As she watched her hair blow in the wind, she wondered how good it was that she had ghost powers. It wasn't that she didn't like Taylor, it was the very opposite. She was like a sister to her, and to see her sister use her powers over people for fun wasn't very good all. Even if Dash was a jerk, it was just plain wrong, and she wanted to get that across.

"Anyway, we'd better get back to class." Danny said, looking back toward the school. The crowd had dispersed, leaving a few nurses to tend to a very beaten up Dash.

"Wow. . he looks _bad._" Taylor said in a venomous voice. She laughed slowly and cruelly, her voice trailing toward Dash like a somber music. Dash groaned and turned to her slowly. Her eyes flashed red at him and she let out a breathy hiss, her ghostly fangs gleaming in the light for a few moments. His eyes widened fearfully, and he moaned in defeat, looking the other way and snapping his eyes shut. Danny gave Taylor yet another uneasy look.

"We'd better get inside." He placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her toward the door. The kids walked in, feeling as the cool air conditioned air of Casper High hit them head on.

"Taylor can I talk to you?" Danny asked a bit nervously. Taylor looked up at him, the look in her eyes warm again, he was relieved to see. "Yes Danny?" Danny turned to Sam and Tucker.

"I'll see you guys in Bio. .. " They nodded understandingly and took off together down the hall. Danny watched them disappear, and looked down at Taylor.

"Sam is right to a degree . . . it isn't good to use your powers like that. . . "he said gently. Taylor's face suddenly turned sour, and Danny cringed."Are you going to lecture me too?"

"No. .. but you have to try to listen, please, for me. .?" he pleaded with her, trying to reason. Taylor took one look into his bright blue eyes and fell silent. "Fine."

"We're heroes in this town . . . and heroes _have_ to do the right thing." Taylor bit her bottom lip, trying to take in what he was saying. Some part of her was, but the other part was still feeling the rush. Having control over someone was indescribable. . empowering, brilliant. She knew it was wrong, but if felt so damn good.

"Sure, what you did to Dash was funny. . ." Danny smirked lightly, "But in all honesty, it isn't always the best thing to do. Trust me, I know." He turned serious again and looked down solemnly.

"Will you promise me you'll be good?"

Taylor closed her eyes gently and chuckled. Danny felt himself shiver. "I promise I'll behave myself."

Somehow, he knew that she was struggling with herself. He gazed down at her satisfied brown eyes and felt a hint of fear. He knew that she knew what it was like to use her powers the wrong way, and he hoped that she wouldn't take it to heart. . .

They both began to walk down the hall, until Taylor's ghostly red breath escaped her lips. She looked up to Danny, who obviously had the same reaction.

"Ghost." Taylor breathed, looking around cautiously. It was eerily silent now, the kid having went to class upon the bell. Danny looked around, his eyes focusing on any disturbance. It was then they saw it, in the shadows of the hall, a small boy with a large hat on, riding a skull like horse. He cackled evilly then emerged from the shadows.

"Youngblood!" Danny cried out.

"Youngwho?" Taylor asked with a raised eyebrow. She was answered when a sharp black rope caught her foot, knocking her down and dragging her into the shadows. .

Fear as she never knew it before took hold of her and began to strangle. Taylor was afraid, and she knew that her next move could determine if she lived or died. Someone was screaming, a very shrill and loud shriek. It took Taylor a moment to realize that the scream belonged to her, and that she was whizzing down the hallway at 50 miles an hour. She closed her eyes and clawed at the ground, trying to stop herself, but it was no use.

Danny had already slammed into action, throwing his two thin arms up and screaming," GOING GHOST!" Two bright beams of light washed over him, turning into the white haired, neon green eyed Danny Phantom.

And then it hit her.

_What am I doing? I have ghost powers too! _

Youngblood let out another shrill cry as Taylor's thin body slammed into the wall. Being a super hero in a sense, she had super strength. It was a good thing she did. If not, all of her bones surely would've broken on contact. Taylor gritted her teeth and got up, her body wobbling for a moment before settling. Youngblood looked pleased, and his skull-like horse cackled with amusement.

"You're out of luck kid!" Taylor snarled, her brown eyes narrowed with hatred. Without further hesitation, she sprang into the air acrobatically and threw her arms up. Two black rings sped over her body, turning her into her newly found alter ego Taylor Specter.

Taylor couldn't remember what happened the night she got her powers. All she could remember was horrible pain, and neon, the color of Danny's eyes. But she figured that she shouldn't let Vlad win. . .and now she should use his deadly mistake against him. And she had done just that, training for hours a day with Danny. She still wasn't at her peak, but she was moderately proficient.

She aimed her catlike eyes at the now completely startled Youngblood. His ghostly eyes took her in. She looked pretty tall to him all of the sudden in her black jumpsuit. The only thing that broke up the black was white boots, gloves, a belt, and the crafty letter "T" she had plastered on her abdomen. Her hair was flaming white as if on fire, and her eyes had turned neon green, but he noticed that they would flicker to red quite often.

She smiled evilly at him, her fangs showing in the dim light of the hallway. Danny floated up behind her protectively, and glared.

"What do you want Youngblood? A cookie?" Danny said as though talking to an annoying little brother. To Danny's surprise, Youngblood bursted out laughing. Taylor became immediately irritated.

"What's so funny brat?" she spat, the temptation to destroy him beginning to drive her to be cruel. Youngblood wiped a few tears from his eyes before pointing tauntingly.

"I _knew_ Danny Phantom had a girlfriend! Oh this is just too good!"

His horse looked up at him and showed his yellowing teeth. "Indeed! It _is _rather amusing!"

The young ghost laughed again and pointed at Danny. "Phantom's gotta girlfriend! Phantom's gotta girlfriend! Phantom's gotta girlfriend!"

Danny scowled, his mouth becoming a thin line. He clenched his fists, trying not to explode. Taylor however moved forward bravely, her eyes crimson now.

"Yes, he does have a girlfriend, and she happens to be very very dangerous!" She yelled menacingly. Then she lifted her hand almost leisurely, and large pink rays whizzed nosily out of her hand. The laughter silenced as he tried to duck, but it was too late by then. When the ectoplasmic fog settled, Youngblood sat there with a large hole in his hat.

"What the?" Youngblood blinked a few times, holding onto his hat before looking at Taylor with hatred.

"You're going to pay for that!" he threatened.

"Sorry! Taylor doesn't do Visa, MasterCard, or YOU!"

"Nice one!' Danny commented with a sly smirk to her.

"Thanks Danny!"

"Now let's kick some serious YoungBUTT!" Danny cried, and the two flew into action.

Youngblood's eyes widened and he turned the other way, riding his horse with speed through the school. Seas of lockers filed past the two halfas as they chased down their annoying prey, coming closer and closer to pouncing. Taylor looked to Danny with a fang filled smile before shooting another pink ray. Youngblood ducked successfully this time, and instead it hit the ceiling. Large crumbles of ceiling began to fall, and Taylor was still a bit confused on how to become intangible. Danny took her by the arm and they both turned to air.

"Thanks!" she gasped, seeing the ventilation fall through her body. They became solid once again, and Danny shot another ray. It hit Youngblood this time, and he went flying off his horse onto the ground. He hit the wall, where he was officially cornered.

"Well well well! It looks like the tables are turned now!" Taylor said as they flew down to stand in front of him. Youngblood looked alarmed, until her realized something with an evil smile.

". .. Somehow I don't think this is good." she whispered to Danny who nodded unwillingly.

And indeed it wasn't. Youngblood whistled, and before Taylor knew it she was hit in the back head on by the Skull horse. Danny had gone intangible, but Taylor still wasn't used to it.

"GAH!" she hit the wall, her face slamming into it head on. "Ow. . ." she muttered, her eyes watering painfully.

She didn't understand how ghosts could feel pain. Apparently Danny did. "Ouch!" he shouted sympathetically. He glared, turning to Youngblood with hatred.

_"Don't_ hit my girlfriend!"

He wasn't going to play anymore. It was time for him to pay. Danny closed his eyes, separeted his legs, got into a stance and opened his mouth. What came out was no ordinary scream. His devastating ghostly wail pulsed out of his mouth with brilliant green waves. The noise was low, and sorrowful. Screaming, the young ghost was hit hit on, and so was the skull-horse, who didn't look so smug now.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted to his fallen comrade, who whinned in understanding. The two faded into the wall before blurring out of site.

Danny stopped, out of breathe. He collapsed on the hard floor, and turned back into Danny Fenton again, only a very tired looking one. "Ugh. . ." he breathed heavily as he wobbled to his feet. Taylor, her eye blacked, ran over to him, apparently she had turned back into Hecter when he used his. . . greatest defense.

"Danny. . ." she gasped rubbing her side.

"That. . . that was amazing!"

Danny had told her about that special power, and she had heard about it so many times. Never did she think that it could be so powerful. She had asked Danny to show her so many times, but he always said that he wouldn't; he used it in emergencies. . .or when he was really "pissed off. "Now was one of those times apparently, and Taylor was too amazed to say much of anything.

Then it hit the both of them head on as Taylor crawled to her knees beside Danny.

. . .Danny had wrecked the C hallway.

The dingy lockers of Casper High hung off their hinges, the lights were flickering chaotically, smoke issued out of the heater that was against the baren wall. The floor tiles had been destroyed, a few of them implanted into the wall.

"Oh shit. Shit shit _shit." _Taylor grumbled, looking around at the destroyed area.

They would be dead for this, and not just half dead. It was only a matter of time before someone caught onto this. . . the worst case being Lancer.

Lancer and Taylor had become sworn enemies since the first day Taylor made him look like an idiot in front of the class. Like the dramatic story lover he was, he held grudges, and his for Taylor ran deep. It also didn't help that she was best friends with Danny. She distracted him, just when he was starting to get on track with his school-work. Taylor hated him, and seeing him at a time like this wouldn't be very good.

"_Language_ Miss Hecter. . ." came the voice of Lancer, his old eyes wide with anger.

Taylor and Danny looked to their middle aged teacher with two gasps of fear. There he stood, in front of them, eyes bloodshot, his face red. He looked angrier than he had ever been before. Taylor gulped, watching as kids started to form around them, looking at the area with amazement. Their voices drifted into Taylor's petrified ears.

_"What happened?"_

_"I dunno. . .dude.. look at the wall!"_

_"Oh man!"_

From the pack came Sam and Tucker, their eyes wide as they looked at the damage. Taylor looked to them fearfully, trying to explain with a few quivers of her lips. Sam placed a hand over her mouth and shook her head.

"My office Hecter. .. Fenton. ..now!" came the strangled voice of Lancer who was pulling on his ears insanely.

Danny stumbled to his feet, Taylor holding onto him for support.

"But we. ." Danny tried to explain.

_"Now_ Fenton!" Lancer wasn't going to hear it.

Taylor looked to Danny, who was still shaking with weakness from his ghostly wail. She gently took his hand in hers, feeling the warmth of his fingers. It comforted her in a sense. Danny looked to her with a soft, nervous smile. Then they looked ahead, dissapearing down the crowded hallway to their impeding doom.

* * *


	3. Negative Energy

**Chapter Three**

**Negative Energy**

Danny and Taylor sat in Lancer's cramped office. A few moments before his angry face explained that their parents had arrived and he would return shortly. He stormed out of the room, and everything became tense and silent.

They felt rather like prisoners as they sat in the two hard wooden chairs in front of his desk. The air around them was colder than Danny in his ghostly form, as though nature was forcasting something very bad happening. Knowing her conservative parents, that was a very unsettling truth.

Taylor knew that her parents wouldn't be happy about it. They were strict authoritarians, always expecting perfection from her, and this was very far from perfect. She could just imagine the look on her fathers face, and she could hear the scorn from her mother. Taylor closed her brown eyes as if in pain, and opened them again, an unreadable expression on her face. In some way she felt satisfied, ruining their expectations of her. After all, what right did they have? It was clear to her that they could care less about her. Wasn't it them that took her away from her home in Delaware? Ha! They didn't even notice the dissapearance of their own daughter. While they talked business, she was getting , beaten, most likely raped, and almost killed, not to mention being turned into a mutant freak.

Screw them. . . who cared if they were proud of her? She certainly didn't anymore. Of course, she wouldn't have to be concerned with her parents right now if it wasn't for _him. _It had almost been half a year since Taylor met Danny, and ever since her life had been nothing but one disaster after another.

Taylor looked over at Danny, trying not to be too obvious. In all honesty she was angry at him for being a jerk enough to use his wail so recklessly. However, as she did she felt her anger dissipate. His icy blue eyes weren't focused on anything in particular, but even then they looked intense and full of depth. Soft black jets of his hair fanned out on the side like raven feathers, showing his defined features. He got handsomer every day, and suddenly she wanted to reach out and touch him.

Damn him.

Danny stiffened, peaking out of the corner of his eye to see Taylor gazing at him in an odd way. Her eyes were filled with anger, and traces of affection. Still, he didn't understand why she was mad at him, as he did just save her butt. He decided that he was going to be brave, after all, what more did he have to lose? He turned to Taylor with irritation.

"Is there a reason why you're looking at me like that?" He knew he was being nervy to mess with her, but he couldn't help it right now. In his opinion this was all her fault. If she hadn't been so nosey and suspicious, she wouldn't have to be in his dangerous life, fighting along side him.

Taylor frowned, the look of admiration leaving her eyes like the flame to a candle in the wind, leaving nothing but ferocity. She didn't care for the tone of his voice; it sounded accusing. Why he was being this way was beyond her comprehension.

"What the hell is _your_ problem?" she spat at him. It wasn't a question; it was an insult.

Danny's face hardened. How dare she be like this when he just saved her?! He felt his pusle quicken as he leaned towards her, his hands tightening around his seat.

_"My _problem? _You_ seem to have the problem, always getting into trouble! Being involved in things you shouldn't!"

His real feelings were starting to show, pent up frustration reeling it's ugly head. Taylor couldn't believe the things she was hearing. She let out a low rumble of disbelif, and shook her hair out of her face, her eyes becoming narrow slits as she looked at the angered boy in front of her.

"And what is _that _supposed to mean!?" She didn't like where he was going with this. At all.

"It means that I always have to protect you from yourself! You don't even realize how dangerous you _are_!" His voice was rising with each syllable, and before both of them knew it they were standing, facing each other like two opponents at a duel.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" She leaned forwards, both hands stiffly to her sides. Danny met her move, and his face was close to hers. His blistering eyes met hers, and she could see one of his eyes twitch with irritation.

"Getting yourself beaten up by Vlad all the time, mocking dangerous ghosts, being so damn stubborn! So stubborn that you can't even think clearly! And might I mention that you are nowhere _near_ strong enough to face them!" His voice was angry, but there was a hint of jelously to it. It felt so good to send that low blow to miss independent.

It wasn't easy to be around Taylor sometimes. Her personaliy was so strong and powerful, that he would often feel as though he was small and insiginicant beside her. After all, he was the man in the relationship. He was supposed to feel strong and brave, while she drooled over him.

Now however she looked to be the one hurt, and for a moment he couldn't believe that he had the power to wound such an amazing being, but that look was replaced as she became cold and still, straightening up to his level. She looked up at him, but the look on her face was strong enough that he felt as though he were the smaller person,she being the one glowering down at him with that frightening stare.

"Might I remind you Danny, that you wouldn't _be_ here to protect me if I weren't so "dangerous." Who saved your sorry ass from Plasmius when I first met you? Who fought him off when we were on top of that stupid building? Who jumped in front of a goddmaned _lazer _just for you?!" she was shouting now, her voice cutting into him like a hot knife. He tried not to flinch, but he felt the horrible sting of her words, and it honestly hurt.

He closed his eyes, feeling as though he was going to explode. When he opened them they were a piercing yellow, and he found that hers had turned a bright red. They growled at each other like two fierce cats, until Danny realized the closeness in their proximity. Her beatiful face was just inches from his, and he felt the warm heat of her body. Danny inhaled sharply, hating her for making his heart pound in such a way, and as if overtaken by a weird force, he pulled her roughly towards him and sealed his lips over hers.

Taylor gasped, completely flabergasted by his actions. She could feel his cold lips pressiong down against hers desperately, angrily, and hungrily at the same time. Overcome in emotions, Taylor wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, wanting to dominate his daring move. Danny wouldn't allow that to happen, and he squeezed her to him. He was stronger, and she could feel the breath being stolen out of her mouth in a puff. Groaning, Taylor punched at his back to counter his strike, and Danny knew she didn't want him to stop.

After a few moments he let go, his lips wet and swolen. Taylor panted for air, wiping her mouth off as she stared at him. Both were breathing heavily, and their ghost scents went off at the same time. They watched as trails of their breath trailed up to create one large cloud of purple, and it was in that moment that they realized they were equals, equals who were both hopelessly in love with each other.

Both collapsed in their seats, stunned by what had happened.

"You're a weirdo, you know that?" Taylor stated finally, her breathing starting to return to normal. She casted Danny a slightly confused look, her head tilted to the side. Danny watched as long tangles of her spirally hair fell in front of her face and just smirked to himself. Taylor scowled, but didn't have time to say anything. There was a soft mumer of voices from down the hallway, and the sound of small footsteps, one pair seeming to be bigger than the rest.

Their parents were here.

The dusty door banged open, Lancer being the first one into the room. His smug form was followed by the very worried and angry forms of Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. Taylor had grown to like Danny's parents, but unfortunately his mother treated her like her own daughter, which meant all of that motherly anger was for her too.

Shit.

Following them, last of course, were her parents. Her dad's mouth was a thin line, and his face looked stiffer than usual. Her mother's normally perfect hair was a bit ruffled, and her clothes sagged as though she'd lost a bit of weight. Taylor didn't realize before, but this was the first time she'd seen them in perhaps a few days. Their furious demeanors didn't make them inviting however.

The parents stood behind their kids, and Danny could feel his mothers hands digging into his shoulder in an almost protective way. Taylor sagged in her seat and crossed her arms moodily as her parents stood beside her.

There was a stiff, angry silence. Lancer decided to begin. "I'm sorry to drag you folks out like this, just before spring break too. ." his face turned to the two teens as he frowned," but it seems like your little angels have wrecked the C hallway." He was going to be straighforward today.

"He _what_?" Mrs. Fenton looked down angrily at her son, who sent him a guilty smile.

Taylor's father spoke up next. "And where would they find the tools to do this? They couldn't have used their hands could they?" At this moment Taylor loved her father.

Lancer looked up at him and held up a small key. "The Janitors closet was unlocked."

Taylor wanted to lunge at Lancer. That closet was always locked. . . the same closet where she and Danny hid from Dash and the crazed fangirls a half a year before. But she couldn't do that, if she did they would get suspicious. . . most likely revealing their powers.

The parents nodded, seeming to take what he said for truth. Taylor felt a negative swoop of energy, sending waves of nausea radiating from her stomach to all four limbs. When she looked up she saw her parents glaring down at her.

"Their punishment will take place the first day of spring break." Taylor heard Lancer say, almost as though it was their execution day. Taylor thought back to SuperGhost stadium, and how close Danny and she were to losing their lives. She had enough executions to last for a lifetime. It's a good thing she was a ghost.

"The school doesn't have a janitor to clean the cafeteria, as he's leaving for Disney Land with his family. . . and that's where young Daniel and Taylor come in." Taylor groaned, as well as Danny, but they were silenced by the look of Daggers their parents gave them.

"It sounds like a fair punishment for an unfair crime." said Taylor's mother, always using her Lawyer's terminology. Taylor felt anger settle into the pitt of her stomach, and she crossed her arms tighter.

"They will come tommorow at 6:00 sharp. . . oh and kids, bring some old clothes, I think you might need it." Lancer added as he looked down at the angered teens in front of them. The parents nodded, and there was a soft mumble of consent.

Taylor couldn't believe this was happening. If Danny and her hadn't stopped that ghost, he would have wrecked the whole school! Life could be so unfair sometimes, and this couldn't get any more unfair.

"Well, it's settled then. " Lancer said, clapping his hands together. There was a rumage as the parents got their stuff together, and Danny and Taylor stood up, their bodies tired and quite distressed. Taylor's eyes fell on Lancer who smirked down at her evilly.

_Son of a bitch. _

Taylor's dad began shaking hands with the Fentons. "It was nice to see you two again, even though it is under the most unfortunate circumastances." Her mother smiled, though it looked rather forced, as she eyed the odd jumpsuits.

"Well you know, us parents gotta stick together." came the voice of Jack Fenton.

"Oh great, they're _bonding_." Taylor whispered to Danny, who nodded with a scowl.

The parents soon left the room, not before Mrs.Fenton warned Danny that she'd see him at him in thirty minutes. Lancer too left, his large stomach shaking with his wheezing laughter. All that was left behind were the two teens, standing next to each other as though then end of the world might come.

"He is the biggest ass I've ever met in my life." Taylor finally said with a gritt of her teeth.

"You can say that again, and again, and again." Danny held open the door for Taylor as they walked out of the room. They were surprised to find Sam and Tucker wating for them. School had ended an hour ago.

"What _happened?" _breathed Sam, looking from Danny to Taylor with worry. Tucker looked relaxed however, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"What happened was Lancer is an ass!" Taylor repeated, too angry to say anymore. Danny shook his head and began.

"We have to come in tommorow to clean the cafeteria."

The kids walked down the hallway, down the stone steps, out of the school with a strained silence. All were digesting what had happened. Danny felt the cool air on his face and inhaled the scent of Amity Park. Right now it was a mixture of car exhaust, and Speedy's Icy Glazed Buns, a bakery down the street that sold decadent cakes and pastries.

Danny only used his car when he had too; gas was expensive, and his ghost powers could get him anywhere, so the kids were walking home.

"I just can't believe that happened." Sam commented finally, her hands in the pockets of her skirt. Danny glanced over at her with a smile. Sam was always so supportive of him, and he really was glad she was his friend.

"Harsh dude... harsh." agreed Tucker as he pulled out his PDA. "Need to add this to the list of things we have to do."

Taylor watched Tucker for a moment before sighing in exhaspiration. "How come it is that every heroic thing we do, we end up paying for?"

Sam looked over at Taylor. "Maybe it's karma, trying to tell you not to use your powers for controling people." She still apparently hadn't gotten over the incident with Dash. Taylor let out an angered laugh, not believing what she was hearing.

"You hippies and your karma." was all she said. Sam rolled her eyes at her and continued walking down the broken concrete sidwalk. All around them cars scooted by, most likely people going home for the day. A few trees would pop up here and there, all a litter box for the various dogs in the area.

They arrived at Tucker's house, and his mom was at the door. She waved to the kids with a smile. "Bye guys!" They waved back and continued on.

Danny looked to Taylor, studying her face. She was obviously in a bad mood, and Sam's comment hadn't made it any better. He sighed and reached out to hold her hand when she stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening. Danny and Sam stopped as well.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, watching as Taylor looked around as though someone was watching.

Taylor felt negative energy, the same feeling she got when something bad was happening. She knew this had to be a ghost power for sure, but she didn't know how to describe it. All she knew was that someone was watching them . . .someone bad.

"We have to get out of here. . .now."

"What are you-" Danny began to ask, but was silenced as their ghostly breath went off. Danny wanted to turn to Phantom, but Taylor took his hand and Sams' and began to run. It was hard to keep up with her pace, but after about three blocks she stopped, breathing heavily. She turned to Danny and Sam who were gasping for air.

"What- was- that-about?" Sam choked out, holding her side.

"Ghosts! I'm telling you. .!'

"Well yeah obviously. .. " Danny said reffering to the ghost scents. "But that still doesn't explain how you knew they were there before I did." He looked at Taylor, studying her.

"I. . I don't know exactly. All I know is that I felt energy, negative energy. ." and she was telling the truth too.

"How long has this happened?" Sam asked. She looked Taylor over, wondering if she was sick.

"Just today, when Dash wanted to start a fight with Danny. . when my parents were mad at me, and now. ."

It was quickly getting dark out, and some of the street lights flickered on. A cool wind ruffled their hair, and Taylor could have sworn she heard whispers upon it. Darkness was all around them, no chance of light.

"Let's just get out of here." Sam said, pulling on her two friends arms. They followed her in silence to her house, where she turned around before going inside."I'll see you guys tommorow." She looked at the darkening city and then back down at her two friends who suddenly looked pale. "Be careful." And she was gone.

Danny and Taylor lived closest to each other, ten doors to be exact. They always were the ones to get home last, not that they minded. Being in each other's company was oddly refreshing and now Taylor needed Danny to explain things more than ever.

"Can new powers just pop up whenever?" Taylor asked, looking at her friend as they approuched his house. Danny insisted that they walk to hers first, and she didn't argue. She couldn't right now, her mind was on too many things.

"That's what happened to me." Danny remembered how randomly he recieved most of his powers. It was hard to believe it was only two years ago.

"Great. I couldn't get a cool power like you. I have to get this." Taylor complained.

"It's a swell power." Danny took both of Taylor's hands in his and they stopped. Taylor could see the love in his eyes as he reached down and kissed her forehead. Taylor sighed, feeling a smile spread across her face. She looked up at him , and Danny admired the way her eyes turned bright cold in the light of the streetlamp. "Just don't worry about it. We have enough things to worry about." And he let her go. "Now go get some sleep." Taylor didn't say anything back, she just grinned at him. Her door swung open and her father stood sternly in the doorway. Her smile faded, and with one last desperate look to Danny she scrambled into her house. Taylor's father shook his head, waved to Danny, and shut the door.

He was alone now. Danny looked around, a frown on his face. And then he walked to his house, leaving a silence in his wake. But it was not as peacful as it appeared. Somewhere above, nestled in a few stray trees floated Amathis, Lucentar, and Centaro. Centaro casted a cool look down upon the neighborhood, his long robes billowing in the breeze.

"So that's what Taylor Specter and Danny Phantom look like in their human forms." he drawled, feeling his hunger peak. It would be so easy to get their blood now. As if reading his mind. Amathis hit him in the side.

"We can't do that. We have to capture the brats first." He smirked, snapping his fingers and making two ghostly forms appear. One was Sam with her neck broken open, and the other was Tucker, seeming to cry. The group shared a quivering laugh.

"But I could have sworn Taylor Specter knew we were here. . ." Lucentar spoke up, not liking the new power of his enemy.

"Oh poo. Who cares? It's not like she can see us." And it was true. No human could see them when they wanted to become invisible.

And they remained invisible, long after they dissapered to tell Vlad of the news.

Taylor didn't feel their presence this time. She was locked up in her room, music on at a high.

_Beaten why for? Can't take much more_ Blared the music loudly. Taylor felt satisfied blasting it, for her parents hated that kind of music. And right now, she hated her parents. She recalled the cool looks they gave her as she ascended the stairs to her large and spacious room. She had yelled at the Tucker hologram loudly, and he didn't argue letting her in.

_Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the floor! Let the bodies hit the flooorrr!_

Taylor rumaged through her closet, looking for old clothes to wear for the next day. She didn't really have any old clothes. Any ones she did have she threw out, or made homemade pillows out of and sold them to buy new clothes. Old clothes were just out, new clothes were so in. The song faded into the background, a quiet, symphony filling her room. Taylor liked all kinds of music, and this particular song was soothing.

She listened to it, humming the toon moodily as she threw random shirts out of her closet. Then she stopped, upon finding something she hadn't seen in a good few years.

It was Teddy.

Teddy was her babytoy, a toy so precious to her that she kept it long after she grew out of it. He was a soft pink bear, with big brown eyes, and whenver she would squeeze his arm he would giggle. That had broken, and now all she could see were his faded eyes that still held the warmth of all those years.

"Oh Teddy. If you only knew how hard my lifes gotten." she told her doll, feeling tears leak dramtically out of her eyes. Her older brother Derrick always told her that she was a drama queen, and this was exactly why.

"I mean, it's not like I meant to take control of Dash like that. . .I just got so mad." she continued, mostly talking to herself as she collapsed on her bed. She held her doll up high so that she could see his eyes looking down at her.

"But it felt so good. . . having control over people feels. . ._good." _she told Teddy with honesty, a bewlidered expression on her face. Then her eyes narrowed evilly.

"And then that stupid ghost shows up and I have to clean the smelly cafeteria!" She remebered the look on Lancer's face.

"One day, Mr.Lancer is going to push me too far. . .the son of a bitch." Taylor growled and threw Teddy across the room. When it hit the wall she heard it giggle stupidly. Taylor raised an eyebrow slowly as she heard the sound then she scowled, feeling herself sink into her matress.

"Great. Even my bear thinks I'm funny." she said tiredly.. .and her bed suddenly seemed to invite her into the warm cradle of sleep. Taylor yawned and stretched out. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to sleep for a few good moments. . .

Then she was out like a light.

Unknown to her, about ten miles away, Vlad sat in his Mayor's chair, though he treated it more like a thrown. His leg was crossed over his other one, and he held his cat Maddie in his arms while he petted her. He watched on his wide screen TV as Taylor slept. A cruel smirk spread across his face.

"Your bear isn't the only one who thinks you're rather amusing." he said in a clearly amused voice.

"It is fun to control people isn't it? I thought it was rather funny as well." He looked more than evil, sitting in his chair as he switched the television off. His face became rather serious.

"You'd be more than a good match for me. . .once you know what it feels like to have power." he said more to himself as he stood, pacing his dark office. "We aren't so different, after all." and he began to laugh, crazed and derranged. Maddie jumped off the chair and hissed, hiding in the shadows as he watched his master turn into his ghostly form with two black rings.

And he took off into the night. He had a meeting with the serpant ghosts, a meeting that would change the lives of Daniel and his friends, and Vlad had full control.


	4. Brisket

**Chapter Four**

**Brisket**

* * *

Morning came, and was uncharacteristically dark. Black, swirling clouds, loomed in from the North, mixing with the breezy winds to create stormy conditions. Clear drops of rain fell down from the sky, turning into gray drops as they hit the windowpane, or becoming no more than water to the grass. It was as though nature was warning her of something. But of what? 

Taylor looked out her window with a frown. Like the storm outside, she could feel something brewing. Every so often she would get a nagging drop in her stomach, reminding her that negativity was all around her.

Getting new ghost powers wasn't as great as she thought it would be, especially when they involved feeling the most horrible of feelings, and knowing when someone was going to beat the crap out of you. Now, she felt a different feeling, a more sinister one. It was descending upon her slowly, wrapping all around her.

Taylor let out an irritated sigh. When would she stop thinking so much? She'd always been an overly analytical person, and these stupid powers weren't helping her any. She looked away from the window down at her digital clock. It read 6:00 on the dot. Danny should arrive any moment now. Hopefully his presence would cause her only to think of him, and not how much her stomach felt like lead.

Soon she saw Danny's rusty Toyota pull up. He beeped the horn a few times to signal it was time to go. Taylor rolled her eyes at the impatient teen and grabbed her blue backpack, which was the same color of almost everything in her room.

The cold rain hit her on the way out, freezing her clothes to her body. She thought it best that she got as clean as she could now; the school cafeteria would be unforgiving. Taylor sighed yet another annoyed sigh and got into Danny's car. Inside it was warm. The heat hit her head on.

She turned around to see Danny, leaning back, an odd sort of look about him. Taylor raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Well _hello_ to you too, Mr. Weirdo."

Danny closed his eyes and chuckled briefly, and when he opened them they looked like liquid pools of water, cutting into her like knives. Taylor inhaled sharply. Why the hell did he always have to do that to her?

"I'll say it again, and again and again. . .you never cease to amaze me." Danny's voice was smug, almost as though he knew her far too well. He did, but he didn't have to rub knowing everything about her.

"If you're going to start badgering me about stupid shit, save it. I'm in no mood right now." Taylor grumbled crankily, wrapping her arms snugly around herself. "And_ why_ are you looking at me like that?"

Danny felt his mouth curl up into a smirk. Taylor's long curly hair was tied back into a long, wet ponytail, and her black sweatpants and turtleneck stuck to her like glue. Her lips were slightly blue from the cold, and a few strands of hair were sticking on end. He couldn't help but let a laugh pass his lips. Taylor scowled.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. . ." he responded with the same arrogance, pulling out of her driveway and driving down the wind and rained washed roads of Amity Park.

"_Ugh._Daniel. Would you stop being an idiot for one moment and tell me why you're laughing at me?" Uh oh. She used 'Daniel'. He knew he was in for it now. Danny growled low in his throat with complete and utter annoyance. Having Taylor as a girlfriend could be impossible sometimes, especially when she started to act like someone he'd rather her never be like.

"It's nothing _really_, just that, well. .. "Danny looked to her with the same odd, penetrating stare.

"You look so_ cute _when you're angry and wet."

He knew he would regret it as soon as the angered shriek escaped her lips. Danny looked over to see her, fists clenched, teeth bared. Danny gulped, his eyes darting back to the road quickly. _Shit._

"If you're going to be like this the whole way there, I'm going to_ fly_ to the school!" she stated angrily. Danny felt angry waves course through him. Of course Miss Independent had to make her declaration, a declaration that no one needed to sign for it to be in effect.

"_Fine_ I'll stop!" he said quickly through his teeth. There was no way in hell he wanted her flying around at 6 in the morning. This weather just screamed trouble, and unfortunately, so did Taylor. Danny glanced back to Taylor, who was starting to calm down. He was glad too. Sometimes Taylor lost control of her powers and would try to fry him with her laser vision, or do something worse.

Her eyes met his, and he gave her a quizzical look.

"Are you cold?" he said softly. He was really trying to mend things now.

". . .Not at all." she responded sourly. Danny knew she was still mad, so he sighed and turned the heat on more. He felt waves of it hit him, and saw her body become less tense. Apparently she was warming up now.

It was silent for a few minutes before Taylor spoke, rather politely.

"Sam and Mike are really getting along."

Taylor smirked and leaned back in her seat, the memories of Sam and Mike up until the early hours listening to music, talking, and just cuddling, flooded her mind. She looked over at Danny to see a dry sort of look on his face.

"What are you thinking about?"

Danny looked over. "Nothing. . .it's just .. . " he trailed off, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he raked his mind for an explanation to why he suddenly felt like he wanted to strangle Mike.

"You're not jealous are you?" came Taylor's amused voice. It was times like these where Danny hated her beyond belief.

"I'm not jealous." he began indignantly, "It's just that well, I'm…this is going to sound really dumb."

"Like everything else you say?" Taylor responded slyly. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm just used to being the main guy in her life. . . and not having her focus on me all the time well. . .I almost feel like I'm losing my best friend."

Taylor fumbled with her hair and sighed ."Sounds familiar."

That was his payback for irking her before and he knew it. The sting slashed him in just the right spot. Danny realized how Sam must of felt when he was starting to go out with Taylor. Karma really did bring justice.

There was a stiff silence all the way to the school.

Finally, the rotting walls of Amity High came into view, and the car clunked to a rusty stop. Taylor stuck her nose up in the air and slammed her door behind her moodily. Danny flinched at the noise and narrowed his eyes. Growling in annoyance, he too slammed his door, just a bit louder than Taylor had before.

The sun was starting to dot the earth. Strong hues of pink and purple accented a dark blue sky, and the stars were still visible beyond the large canopy of trees around the school entrance. A few birds were starting to rouse, and Taylor could hear their cheerful chatter perk up ever so often.

She looked around for Lancer, and low and behold, there he was. He looked more tired and sinister than ever, leaning against the door to the school. A few shiny keys glinted in the early morning light as he twirled them around lazily. He cleared his throat when he saw Danny and Taylor.

"Miss Hecter, Mr.Fenton." he said in his usual arrogance.

"You two actually made it. . ." he looked at Taylor's messy appearance and smirked," However barely."

It took all of Taylor's will power not to say anything back. She knew that Lancer was just looking for a reason to make her life more miserable.

Lancer looked at his watch, finding it was just after 6:30.

"I'll make this as breif as possible," he began in an authorative voice.

"Good." Taylor mumbled under her breath. Danny jabbed her in the side. "OW!"

Lancer ignored this and continued.

"I have some er.. . . personal errands to run." Judging by the thick beach towel he was carrying, he looked like he had a one way ticket to lake Eeery.

"And I'll be back by 1:00 on the dot."

Danny felt a surge of relief. HE and Taylor, for a moment forgetting their anger, looked at eachother with unreserved grins.

"But-" he added quickly,"The work had better be done when I get back, or may God help your sorry little souls."

"No problem Mr.Lancer Sir!" Taylor stated quickly. Lancer looked her over skeptically and shook his head.

"Well, I'll get going then . ." and without another word, wondering if he was doing the right thing, Lancer disappeared into his car.

When he was finally gone, and the only thing left of his presence was a trail of smoke from his car, Taylor exhaled sharply.

"Phew. That was a close call."

"I'll say," a voice to the right said with amusement. Sam and Tucker came strolling out from behind the large tree in front of the school, arrogant and smug looks about them.

"Sam! Tucker!" Taylor let out a squeaking noise before attacking Sam with a hug. Sam laughed heartily and grinned at her friend. "Surprised to see us?"

"Totally!" Danny said with a smirk.

"Well, we decided that you guys would need all the help you can get. That's why we brought this little dude!" Tucker said animatedly. He pulled out from his pocket a little box with a large red button in the middle.

"What is_ that_?" Taylor asked skeptically, her arms dropping from Sam upon seeing the odd contraption.

"It's the garbage-o-than- 200." Tucker said proudly. He pressed the button, and after a few seconds of unraveling metal, there stood a robot. It stood about 4 feet off the ground, and was a silver cylinder. Poking up from its odd shaped body was a square head with a large mouth and two red eyes. At the bottom there were two stubbly legs, and two long hose-like arms.

The kids were silent for a moment, looking at the robot as it started up.

". .. Tucker. . .somehow I don't think this is a very erm. . . safe-"Taylor began,

"But it is! Just watch!" Tucker grinned broadly and pressed a remote control. The robot sprang to life with a series of wheezing noises. Danny's mouth fell open, as well as Sam's.

"Greetings Garbagio!"

So that's what he called it.

'Garbagio' turned to Tucker with steely red eyes. "That does not compute." It droned in a nasal tone.

"Garbagio, clean up." Tucker commanded. He looked to the others smugly; ready to show them just how brilliant his invention was.

"That does not compute." it repeated.

Tucker's smile slid right off his face." Garbagio, Clean.Up." he repeated slowly, as though talking to a young infant.

It was silent for a moment, until, much to the surprise of Taylor, it groaned to life, spinning around. As it did, the long hose-like arms unraveled and spun, sucking up everything in sight.

"TUCKER!" she screamed, over the whirling of the leaves.

"Tucker STOP IT! IT'S WRECKING THE SCHOOL!"

And it was. The robot had gotten out of control, and now was flying around the court-yard noisily, knocking over a few trash cans. Danny gasped, his black hair whipping around in the wind of the robot's terror. Taylor looked from the terrified Sam, to the stunned Danny, and rolled her eyes.

"Oh _please."_ She drawled with annoyance. Taylor turned to the machine, locked her eyes on it, and two large pink beams shot out of her eyes right at the robot. They hit head on, and for a moment it was suspended in mid air, pink energy causing it to glow. Then, it blew apart with a loud BANG. The kids covered their eyes, and before debris could hit them, Taylor held out her hand and a ghost shield slithered around them.

Silence.

Taylor let her hand down gently, the shield fading as the smoke around them. It was a moment before Tucker fully understood.

"My robot!" he cried in anguish, running over to his ruined prototype and falling down beside it. Taylor smirked, an eyebrow raised with amusement. As Tucker began to tear, she gave a low chuckle. Danny shivered.

Taylor turned to her boyfriend and rolled her big brown eyes. "It was just a robot."

Sam looked over at Tucker and sighed. "I'm going to have to agree with Taylor on this one. . . I mean, it did almost ruin the school." Danny looked from the sobbing Tucker, to the clearly evilly amused Taylor.

"Sometimes you can be so cruel. . ." he said in a soft voice, but Taylor could tell there was a lot more meaning behind his words.

Taylor felt herself stiffen with anger. She turned on her heel and walked towards the school. "Come on you guys. . . We need to get this cleaned up." And she turned around to face all of them with an unreadable expression on her face.

". . . Cruel . . ._and_ unusual." she hissed softly enough for Danny to hear.

As if she actually had to tell him.

A few hours had gone by since the kids first entered the messy cafeteria. Seats were overturned, there was spaghetti on the walls, and garbage littered the floors. The kitchen was even worse of a disaster. It was quite hard for them to believe that it was humanly possible to take less than 10 hours to clean a monstrosity of that magnitude, but then again, Danny and Taylor weren't exactly human.

Both had slyly decided that they would use their ghostly forms to help them clean the place, and so far it was working. Taylor flew high up into the air to clean the mess off the ceiling, while Danny used his super speed to clean the tables. Sam and Tucker were also helping. Things were looking good.

. .. Until tragedy struck.

"Ugh. . . If I have to scrape_ one_ more strand of spaghetti off the wall, I'm going to flip." Taylor complained moodily, her neon eyes falling on Danny who had a few trash bags in his hand. Danny flew up to her, a bag almost slipping out of his hand.

"Well, at least we only have the kitchen left."

And it was true. The cafeteria was shimmering like diamonds.

Just as Taylor was about to groan, the door to the outside swung open, a very sweaty looking Sam and Tucker walking in. Sam glanced at her watch and looked up at the two flying teens.

"Lancer should be here in an hour. If we don't have the kitchen cleaned, we're dead." Sam informed with a serious nod of her head. Tucker however still looked gloomy over losing his robot, and was refusing to speak to Taylor until she apologized. He casted her a disapproving stare and looked away.

Taylor sighed irritably and flew down to the ground, landing on her feet with her arms crossed. Danny followed. "Time goes by _so_ fast when you're having fun." she remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah, really fast. . ."grumbled Danny. He turned around and flew to the kitchen doors.

"You know, I've never even seen the kitchen before. . ." Taylor said with curiosity. She always had wondered what it looked like.

"I've seen it. . .well, sortah. . ." Danny thought back to his Freshman year. Memories of him trying to gain control of his ghost powers came back. However, there was a vague reminder of something about the cafeteria, something very important. Danny frowned, in deep thought.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked, pulling the door open.

"Nothing. .. I think." he responded, floating into the room. It was pitch black and it smelled strongly of rotting meat.

"Gross." Danny muttered, looking for the light switch. His cold hand found it, and he turned it on hesitantly.

The kitchen was smaller than he imagined. There were several large stoves, and two very large machines, probably meant for cleaning the trays. The floor was a light metallic color, as well as all of the walls.

"Sweet." Came Talyor's echoing voice. Danny and her laughed a bit, until Taylor gasped abruptly.

"What?" Danny asked, concern quite evident.

Taylor had a very uncomfortable expression on her face, as though she had eaten something sour. Her eyes snapped open, and for a moment Danny couldn't understand.

"What?! Are you okay?!"

"We have to get out of here, and now!" Taylor yelled. She grabbed Danny's hand, and as she did, their ghostly breath went off simultaneously. Danny and Taylor looked slowly forward in horror to see that the Lunch Lady had materialized in front of them, looking extremely pissed off. Her piggy little eyes narrowed at the two ghostly teens.

"Who dares come into my cafeteria during spring break?!" she screamed in her echoing voice. Danny and Taylor looked from each other, to her, mouths agape.

"You two do!" she answered for them.

Then she took on a quite harmonious look. "You children look hungry. Would you like some cupcakes?"

Danny and Taylor shook their heads no.

"Well you wouldn't get any anyway!" she screeched, turning back into the evil ghost they knew she was. She wasted no time spinning into action, her hair suddenly turning to flame as she charged at them. Danny and Taylor turned intangible and flew out of the cafeteria, the evil woman following behind. The bright light hit them, and Sam and Tucker gasped.

"We need to get her out of here before she wrecks the cafeteria!" Taylor screamed to Danny, watching as the Lunch Lady formed a green laser beam in her pudgy hand.

"Well, do something!" Danny said through gritted teeth.

"Me?! Why not you?!" she replied.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just do it!" he ordered angrily.

"Ugh fine!" Taylor turned to the lunch lady and made a few faces. "Na na na nan anaa you can't get me! You can't get me!" The lunch lady growled, and a glowing red aura appeared around her.

"I'm going to turn you into meat!" threatened the ghost in her evil, echoing voice.

_"Shit!"_

Taylor gritted her teeth in fear as the ghost came after her, and Danny and Taylor both disappeared out of the cafeteria, leaving a very disgruntled Sam and Tucker behind. Sam turned to Tucker urgently.

"We _have_ to clean that kitchen, or Taylor and Danny are dead meat. . . no pun intended." Sam declared.

Tucker rolled his eyes." It's official. We're _always_ stuck doing the dirty work."

Sam sighed. "I'll get the mop."

Meanwhile, the chase had lead to the school gym. Taylor figured they would need a wide open space to erm. . .finish things.

"No where to run now brat!"

And she was right. Both of the gym doors were locked.

"Now feel the wrath of my brisket!"

The lunchlady raised one hand, and instead of ghostly rays, old rotted brisket came flying out in massive quantities. Taylor's eyes widened as the mass came towards her. She still was uncomfortable with being intangible.

"DANNY!"

* * *

"Scrub Tucker! Scrub!" Sam yelled to Tucker as she cleaned the counters. Tucker was currently on the floor, trying to clean a stain left over from Sloppy Joe Friday. 

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" he said, sweat forming at the base of his forehead.

* * *

"Time to cut the meat!" Danny called from behind. Danny shot a huge beam of energy at the meat, turning it to vapor. One piece however slipped away and hit the ceiling. 

"Thanks!" Taylor called gratefully.

"Don't mention it."

The two teens turned to the angry ghost, who now looked like she was going to explode.

"You vaporized my meat! Stupid teenager!" The lunchlady said furiously.

"And now, it's time to vaporize you!" Danny replied. "Finish her Taylor!"

"Gladly." Taylor stated smugly, pulling out the Fenton thermos from a bag she had around her back from the last time she transformed. The lunchlady's eyes widened with shock, but by then she was too late. Soon she was slowly slithering into the Fenton Thermos, becoming no thicker than a strand of spaghetti. She shouted obscenities until she was no longer visible.

As soon as she was gone, Taylor let out a breath of air, and floated down towards the ground slowly. "Thank God that's over. . . " She transformed back into Hecter, looking very tired in her human form.

"You did good today." Danny did the same and stood in front of her, his black hair looking wind washed.

Taylor glanced down at her watch and gasped. "Lancer should be here any minute. . ." she said nervously.

"Relax. .. I'm sure Sam and Tucker have it covered." Danny assured with a gentle smile. "The important thing is that you're okay."

"I'm fine." she replied with annoyance. Danny treating her like some sort of China Doll wasn't what she would call heart warming.

"Alright alright. . ."Danny said nervously. He didn't want to set Taylor off, again.

"Let's just go before Lancer gets here." He took Taylor's hand, and they ran out of the gym.

When they got back to the cafeteria, Lancer was already standing there, looking for Danny and Taylor. Tucker and Sam, to preserve their secret, had obviously fled from the cafeteria.

Lancer looked quite tan, and he had a floral shirt on.

"Ah. There you kids are."

"We were just putting the erm… equipment away." Taylor explained, standing in front of him tiredly.

"I see. Well. .. this place looks. .. " he looked around, his mouth a thin line. "Very. .. satisfactory."

Ha. Nothing bad to say.

"I guess. . .you two have done a good job."

Taylor held her breath and waited for the magic words. "Now, out of my sights."

"YES" Taylor yelled, jumping up in the air. Danny jabbed her in the side yet again.

"Ouch! . .I mean, thanks sir!"

Danny nodded to Lancer, glad the experience was over. "See ya Mr.Lancer."

And they both rushed out of the cafeteria.

"Weird kids. . ." Lancer said when he was alone. It was then, he realized there was a draft. Usually when this happened, the gym down the hall was opened, as there was poor ventilation from the doors. Lancer sighed irritably and walked out of the cafeteria. When he got to the gym, he smelled something funny. His nose wrinkled in distaste. Perhaps an animal had gotten in somehow and was starting to rot.

Lancer raised an eyebrow, looking around. Then, something fell from the ceiling. Lancer shouted in fear and jumped back. Something slimy was on the floor. And it was then he realized that it wasn't a dead animal, rather, it was a piece of brisket.

Lancer raised a single eyebrow.

"Meat?"

Hecter and Fenton were weirder than he thought.

* * *

** A/N- Sorry this took so long! I was literally so busy that I didn't have time to write. I made this chapter a long one. I've always had this skit in my mind, so it was good to write it! Hope you enjoyed! **


	5. The Serpent Ghost Stone

**Chapter 5**

**The Serpent Ghost Stone**

* * *

No wonder adults were so moody all the time. Not having weekends off could really do that to a person. The kids had only suffered the loss of Saturday, and already they were ready to commit themselves to the nearest psyche ward. Then again dealing with insane Lunch Lady ghosts, Lancer, and the messy Casper High Cafeteria, could make anyone lose their mind. Especially when it all happened in the course of one day.

Sam, Tucker, Danny, and Taylor had agreed under telepathic conditions that they would make the mall the refuge for Sunday. Now that their parents were off their backs, it was quiet after the storm. Taylor just hoped that it wasn't actually the quiet before the storm. But, as she would think these things, she would wonder if she was worrying too much. She'd never felt so much worry and her life as she did the past year. Every so often the feelings would return, and she would dwell on them for hours at a time. Now, she decided, she would focus on more important things.

If Amity Park had any redeeming qualities, it was the mall. When she first moved to Amity Park, before becoming a part of the crime fighting trio, Taylor would come there and get lost in the crowds, and drown in the chatter of satisfied citizens. It was the perfect place to just be one with the stores, and for Taylor that was never a problem.

The mall was tall, and made of perfectly sanded gray bricks and glass. It gave it a smooth look. Several courtyards, all filled with evergreen trees, littered the area, in the hopes of tempting people on their way throughout the city. There were three main parking lots; the east, the west, and the north. The north was the largest, and the two side parking lots were smaller. Inside the mall was even better. It was made of a shimmering gray material that showed off the various lights radiating off the store names, and the floor was a marble gray tile. It gave the place a cool and futuristic feel. Though the two floors of the mall looked exactly the same, Inside were many stores, all offering clothes, music, toys, and books. There was even a large food court. Every so often, you'd come across plush sitting areas, all usually filled with older people. Soda and candy machines cluttered the mall, as well as little carts selling products.

Then there was a store all in a league of its own, and it had become Taylor's favorite. It was a store that involved anything having to do with ancient artifacts. It stuck out so much, as the front of it was made of wood, and there were fake smoking lanterns hanging from the store poles. It was called Art's Artifacts, own by a man named Arthur Reed. Something about the store always drew Taylor in like water to the moon, but today it was an even more powerful pull.

Danny ,Sam, Tucker, and Taylor, were slugging along, dodging little kids in carriages and older men with canes. The crowds today were extreme, and the kids felt as if they were in a surreal setting. There was so much action and energy, and all they felt like doing was sleeping.

"I can barely feel my arms." Taylor groaned, her eyes looking blankly at Danny.

"You can say that again." he answered, rubbing one of his arms that had gone stiff.

". . .I can barely feel my arms." Taylor repeated, annoyed.

Danny sighed and rolled his eyes. "I wasn't serious about you repeating it."

"Oh."

Sam laughed lightly, though it sounded exhausted. " You guys have the funniest fights."

Taylor shot her a glare. "It isn't funny."

Tucker stifled a laugh into his arm, but was caught by Taylor who gave him a swift punch, forgetting her supernatural strength.

"OW!"

"Er. . . sorry Tuck."

Tuck's eyes widened and he stepped a few paces away from Taylor, hoping not to anger her again. "It's fine dude." he assured quickly.

Sam sighed. Taylor could be such a pain in the ass. Now was the time to bring all of her friends back to reality."Anyway you guys, we still need to get our supplies if we're going to leave within the next two days."

"Well, we already have the flashlights." Taylor said, shaking her bag around that had a few packs of batteries, and black shiny flashlights. They would need them in the woods alone, and to play funny shadow games.

Good. She wasn't screaming.

"Then I think that we have everyt-"

"WOAH!"

Taylor stopped in her tracks, her eyes going wide. Her mouth dropped open, and her body seemed to go slack. Sam turned around to the sight, and raised an eyebrow.

"Taylor?"

"Negative energy. . . I can feel it. . ." she said in a trance.

"What negative energy?"

But she didn't respond, instead she started walking towards Art's Artifacts as though being pulled in by a powerful force.

"Danny! What's-" but before she could even ask, Danny too was following Taylor in, looking as though he was some sort of a zombie.

Tucker stepped up beside Sam and shrugged. "They must really like this store."

Sam shook her head, a suspicious look contorting her face. "Somehow, I don't think that's it Tucker."

Sam and Tucker followed their friends into the odd store. Inside, it was very dark. The only lights were fake candles that casted their thin glows upon the artifacts and items, all encased in glass. There was an odd music playing, consisting of drums and a screeching sort of sound. The air was thick, as though someone had been smoking.

Sam saw Taylor's long curly hair sweep around a corner, so she quickened her pace to follow. When she turned the corner, she too stopped in her tracks. In front of them, all in an incasing of its own was a black speckled stone. It was a rocky and rough black rock, like a meteorite, only in many of the holes there were purple and green gems. It glowed faintly in the dark, almost pulsating. Danny groaned and looked away, but Taylor however, abruptly fainted. Sam and Tucker shouted and caught her before she could hit the floor. Danny seeming to be in physical pain flinched away, backing up slowly until he hit something hard.

"Is everything alright?" came a concerned voice from behind them. Danny looked up to see Art himself, his light blue eyes filled with worry as he spotted Taylor. Art was a tall man in his early thirties. He was tan all over, and his dark brown hair was swept to the side in an attempt to keep it tidy. Art steadied Danny with two strong hands, and looked down at the other kids.

"Your friend, what happened?!" he asked, his voice raising an octave.

"I don't know. . .I-" Sam began nervously.

"We have to get away from that thing!" Danny shouted suddenly, pointing at the stone with terrified eyes. Art nodded his head fearfully. "Take her to the back room. There's a couch and a kitchen in there." Without thinking about anything but getting Taylor to safety, Danny picked Taylor up and looked around. On the left was a large oak door. Danny pushed its handle and entered the dark room. It too was filled with fake candles that barely gave any light. Danny, feeling a bit weak, almost dropped Taylor on the couch.

"What. . . was that?"

Art walked in and flipped on a few lights. The place looked a bit less creepy that way. It was a small room with a kitchen looking area on the side. The floors were made of the same brown wood as the rest of the store. It was hard to believe this place was even a part of the mall.

"It's the Serpent Ghost Stone." Art said, rubbing his head. He didn't seem to understand.

"Serpent Ghosts?" Tucker asked fearfully. He'd never heard of ghosts like that before.

"Yes. . . supposedly taken from a ghostly realm thousands of years ago."

"Ghostly realm?" Danny looked up from Taylor, his hair falling over his face. He pushed it away and eyed art skeptically.

"What kind of ghosts are these?" Sam asked, her eyes growing wide with curiosity.

"The Serpent Ghosts. . .are the most powerful ghosts in the ghostly realm." Art apparently was too shocked with what happened to Taylor to notice the sudden, quite suspicious curiosity of the teens.

"Tell us more. Please." Sam said, sitting down near Taylor. Danny was stroking her hair, watching as she shuddered.

Art sighed, and leaned against the door. For a moment his eyes looked as though he was far away, on another planet. The kids waited patiently, and finally he began.

"The Serpent Ghosts are said to be the first animal, ghost hybrids." he began in his deep voice.

He looked down at the kids. 'You do know what hybrids are don't you?"

They nodded. "They came from a time where reptiles were very. . . humanlike. . . well, the most human kind of reptiles you can get. They adapted you see, to the point where they looked very much like us. . ."

There was a sort of awed silence in the room before he spoke again. "They need blood you see, blood to live off. . . and anyway. . . Some say that when a powerful ghost tried to overtake the earth, the serpents fought them, and lost terribly."

Images of humanlike snakes filled Danny's mind, all screeching as they got annihilated by ghosts. Danny held Taylor closer.

"No one won, really. There was so much ectoplasm in the air, that the serpents began to . . .change."

Tucker cringed. "Oh man."

"They eventually became too inhuman to live on this earth. . . so they retreated to the ghostly realm, where they are still said to be today. . . only coming out of their territory to hunt for blood and make deals."

"Deals?" Tucker asked.

Art nodded. "Oh yes. Serpent Ghosts are said to love deals, deals of any kind. Rarely do they break their promises when they are promised something . . .but now if I may continue . . ." Tucker turned red and mumbled apologies.

"The Serpent Ghosts are said to hide deep within their city, three powerful stones, the only thing that can stop them. . . but no one is sure where they are, and there isn't any proof of their existence."

Art laughed lightly. "The one I have now is very faded, millions of years old. It doesn't have enough energy to stop them, but, it can make any ghost hybrid lose their mind. . . or their lunches."

Sam gasped, and looked down at the very ill Taylor. Her shuddering had stopped however, and some color was starting to return to their cheeks.

"I think your friend is starting to feel better." Art said with a soft smile. He pushed himself away from the wall. "The stone can have a poor effect on humans, humans that have been somewhat infected with ectoplasm." The smile slid off his face as he eyed Danny and Taylor skeptically.

"My parents work a lot with ectoplasm-" Danny said quickly. "They even keep samples of it in our refrigerator."

Art shook his head and sighed. "That explains it then."

Taylor groaned, and her eyes snapped open. ". . .Ow."

The kids grinned and almost piled on top of her with hugs. "Okay okay! I love you guys too!" she gasped from beneath them. Danny smiled happily and placed a light kiss on her lips. "Good afternoon Miss." Taylor kissed him back the best she could, still feeling dizzy.

"It would be if I knew where I was. . ." she said stiffly.

Art laughed and shook his head. "You're in my store, Art's Artifacts. Just fainted. . . you kids are free to go."

Danny and Tucker helped Taylor to her feet. Sam grinned at Art.

"Thanks for helping us.. .and telling us about the stone."

Art shrugged."It was the least I could do. I really don't want people to get sick in my store.It's very rude you see, on my part." Sam and Art laughed and shook hands. Sam was always the mature one.

"Well thanks anyway Art. We'll see you around."

Art watched as the kids exited the room, the stumbling Taylor being held onto by Tucker and Danny.

"Weird. . . very weird."

Once they were out of the store, Taylor felt increasingly better. Still, there was a nagging sensation to go back into the room to see the stone. Danny declined fervently.

"There is no way we're going back into that place with that Serpent Ghost Stone in there." he said sternly.

"Serpent whatnow?"

The kids dragged Taylor into the food court. A McMasters outlet behind them was flipping burgers, filling the air with the good smelling food. All around them were glass tables, and silver chairs. People ate their food happily, all of the smells mixing in.

"Art told as about it when you fainted." Sam started, sitting near Taylor like a protective sister would. "It was actually an interesting story."

"Oh man!" Taylor said fitfully. "Why do I always miss the good stuff?"

Tucker sat in front of them, his stomach growling as he eyed the McMasters.

Sam sighed. "It's okay. We'll tell you everything."

Danny wrapped an arm around Taylor, rubbing her shoulders. They told her the story, and she felt rather curious afterwards.

"So this stone can stop the Serpent Ghosts. . ."

The trio nodded. "Well, that's interesting. But it doesn't explain why Danny didn't faint."

Sam pondered this for a moment. "It could be because you have more ectoplasmic poisoning than Danny. After all. . .you were shot with a huge laser for a few minutes."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Vlad. The biggest ass on the planet."

It was Vlad who gave her powers after all . . .even though it was unintentional.

"Speaking of Vlad. . ." Tucker said, getting up. "I'm going to have me some McMasters."

Taylor scoffed. "How could you eat there? It's the enemy food!"

"The good enemy food." Tucker corrected.

"Enemy food you _need_." Sam said, standing up. "I'm going to get us some lunch."

"Ugh fine! Then get me a SubsWay sub. There's no way I'm eating McMasters!" Taylor screamed as Sam walked away. Everyone looked over. Taylor grinned sheepishly.

Danny sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"

Taylor took his hand and squeezed it. "Do you really want me to tell you?"

Danny laughed."Gross."

Taylor grinned, an evilness about it. "Grossness that's made the world go round."

"Again, gross." Taylor smirked back at Taylor and pulled her closer.

Taylor sighed onto Danny. "I feel tired. Really tired."

"You'll feel better once you eat something."

"I doubt it. . .my head is buzzing with negative energy right now. I can still feel that stone like I'm right near it."

Danny frowned. " We'll get out of here soon."

In no time, Sam and Tucker returned with bright colored trays. Sam placed a colorful wrapped sandwich in front of Taylor.

"Eat." she said simply, passing Danny a McMasters burger.

Taylor did as she was told and unwrapped the sandwich. Soon she was tasting the Italian meats and seasonings, swallowing as fast as she could. She was hungrier than she thought. Fainting could do that to a person, she guessed. Tucker was already finished with his food by the time she was halfway done, and Sam didn't get anything.

"You aren't hungry?" Taylor asked, wiping her mouth.

"There isn't exactly any vegetarian cuisine in here if you haven't noticed." Sam informed tensely.

Taylor didn't continue the issue. She knew by now how sensitive Sam was about her diet, which meant anything that wasn't grass or green, was off limits. Sometimes Taylor wondered if she ever craved meat, but she never asked.

When the kids finished their food, and threw out all of their trays, they stood, looking around almost dreamily.

"How do you feel?" Danny asked, giving her a squeeze. Taylor looked up at him with a smile. Normally she would hate it when he was so protective, but now, in a sort of tired stupor, she didn't care much. The pain had gone away, but she still felt a bit dizzy.

"Mostly good. . ."

"Then let's just get out of here. We have everything we need anyway."

The kids began to walk out of them mall when Sam's cell phone rang, a sorrowful toon. Probably some emo band, Taylor thought. Sam pulled it out, and her eyes seemed to light up when she saw who it was on the small screen. She opened it up and her voice became suddenly sweeter.

"Hello?"

"EEYYY" was all that Taylor could hear. She rolled her eyes.

Mike, as usual.

Danny seemed to hold Taylor closer as Sam chatted on the phone. Taylor let him. He was still adjusting to Sam having another major guy in her life, and she knew it was hard for him to deal with, just as it was hard for her to deal with Taylor's arrival. Tucker however, was blissfully unaware.

Taylor envied him for that.

Soon the kids were outside. The parking lot was a lot less crowded now that it was nearing dark. Taylor groaned. She promised her parents she would be home by 8:00. They had become a lot stricter since she developed a criminal reputation. Cool gusts of air ruffled their clothes, entering the east parking lot. This one was entirely empty. It was strangely quiet.

Taylor cringed as she felt waves of negative energy from somewhere. She looked around, and was seemingly answered when she saw Star, Paulina, and a few other girls walking by. Just the sight of star sent a sick swoop of anger throughout her body. Star Lancer had to be the biggest bitch on the planet, and what was worse was the fact that she bothered Sam. Lately she'd been afraid, as they found out her deadly secret; she was Lancer's daughter. Taylor recalled the third day of school, when Star had pushed her in the mud, most likely jealous of an outfit. Slowly an evil sort of smirk formed on her face and her eyes narrowed.

"Hey Star!" she called out sweetly.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around, her body shaking. Her eyes widened when she saw it was Taylor. Paulina looked Taylor over, and the other girls just glared. Taylor wasn't extremely popular with them. There was a pleading look in Star's eyes that made Taylor feel immense satisfaction. She chuckled evilly and continued.

"How's your dad doing?" Behind her she felt a small slap on her arm. Sam grumbled something angrily into her ear. Taylor ignored her, savoring the horrified expression on Star's face. Taylor laughed coldly, sending a chill throughout everyone present.

". . .He..He's fine." stammered Star.

"Oh, he would be after that trip to the sauna." Taylor said evilly, then she flipped her hair and turned away, signaling that the torture was over. Star clambered away quickly, and Taylor heard the girls questioning her. Taylor let out another sinister laugh, but was silenced by Sam's voice.

"What is _wrong _with you? That was so cold!" she scolded loudly.

But she was silenced by something else. A faint clapping coming from up above. Taylor gasped and looked up to see Vlad Plasmius floating above them, his cape drifting in the breeze, his eyes narrowed evilly as he smirked. He then crossed his arms, and now he looked more arrogant than ever.

"What a brilliant performance Taylor. Using information you have gained to render someone speechless . . . very impressive indeed." came his smooth evil voice.

Taylor scoffed. "I knew I smelled something. It figures it should have been you Plasmius."

Taylor felt ready to face him as a ghost. Now she could actually fight against him, better than ever. Let him try something. One thing. That was all it would take for her to need a reason to fight him.

Vlad laughed. "Typical teen comebacks. So cute." Then he aimed his glowing red eyes at Danny.

"Ah, and young Daniel." Danny glared.

"What do you want Plasmius?" he spat.

"Oh nothing. Can't your old Uncle Vlad come to say hi?" he pouted sarcastically.

"If you were actually our Uncle." Taylor said dryly.

Vlad laughed and shook his head. "Ah, what a useful assistant you will become Taylor, in all areas where Daniel could have been, but then again, lost his chance."

Taylor made a disgusted face. "The day I join you, is the day you turn to the good side."

"The good side?" Vlad tilted his head to the side pleasantly.

"Yeah, the side you're never going to join, which means it's never going to happen!"

"There are no sides Taylor. . . when it comes to power." he said quietly.

"Typical statement from an ass."

Vlad's smirk dropped a bit. "A what?

"An ass."

"A WHAT?"

"Ass. A. S.S." she enunciated, as though speaking to a slow person. Tucker began to laugh.

"Oh please Taylor. Do you really think comments like that offend me?"

"You might not say so, but you're getting pretty pissed off." Taylor informed. And it was true, she could feel his negativity increase to almost homicidal levels.

As she said, this the homicidal levels increased. "So cute. So young. So innocent. So oblivious." he hissed.

"Cute, yes. Young, certainly. Innocent. . " Taylor made a curious face then smirked," Not so much."

Then she threw her hands up into the air, turning into Specter. She slowly flew up to Vlad's level. She could feel his negativity lessen as he studied her curiously.

"Oh, I never did thank you for this."

Taylor shrugged. "Who knew it would ever turn out so much _not_ in your favor?"

Danny, Sam and Tucker continued to watch. Danny felt apprehensive. The urge to jump up and help Taylor was taking over, but he knew that this was her fight. The first time she'd seen Vlad since the accident.

"Oh, but it will ultimately turn out in my favor." Vlad said, flying closer to her with a smirk. "Because like Daniel, you do not realize how much like me you really are."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "I'm not like you Vlad. . .I'm _worse_."

Then she threw out her hand, and bright purple rays issued out of them. Vlad's eyes widened as he dodged the attack, barely. He looked back at Taylor with a crooked grin. "Not bad! But do you really think you can fight me girl?"

"_Think?!_ HA! I know!" Taylor smirked and threw another blast. Vlad made a shield, which deflected it. Taylor put up one hand and caught the beam of light.

"That was a great move Vlad. Why don't you do something actually cool for once." she said, bored. Vlad raised an eyebrow, not believing she wasn't the least bit afraid to fight the most powerful ghost hybrid in the universe.

"Well_someone _is asking for it." he said in his intelligent voice.

Taylor laughed evilly, Vlad enjoying the sound of it. "Do your worst."

"Oh I will . . . in just a second!"

Then the look on his face suddenly hardened. Taylor could tell he meant business. Vlad formed a huge energy ball in his hand, and issued it out at a high speed. Taylor, not used to reacting quickly, was hit head on. Danny gasped, craving to help, but Sam held him back.

"No! This is Taylor's fight."

Danny watched with horror as she crashed onto the cement roof of the mall, Vlad following her swiftly. Taylor screamed in fury, jumped up, and sent another huge beam of ectoplasm at Vlad. This time, Vlad didn't dodge it all, and was cut in the shoulder. Human blood poured out. He snarled angrily, then made another one of his devastating ectoenergy balls. Taylor's eyes widened as it came towards her, and as though pulled by some unknown force, she separated her hands. In between a faint glowing pink energy shield came to cover the empty space, directing the ball away, back at Vlad. It hit him instead, and he was thrown to the floor.

Below Danny, Taylor and Sam gasped in awe. This must be a new power.

". . .Did I do that?" she asked almost timidly. They nodded.

"COOL!"

Taylor grinned malevolently and looked over at the groaning Vlad, who was stumbling to his feet, holding his side. Taylor's eyes narrowed.

"Had enough Vlad?"

"Oh dear child. Seeing you become evil is something I never get enough of."

Taylor felt suddenly sick, and she realized that her eyes had become red as they often did.

"Shut up!"

Vlad laughed evilly. " You're becoming so much like me, it isn't funny."

"No. It isn't funny. Which is why you should shut the fuck up!"

Vlad leaned forwards a bit, hands clenched tightly. "Don't worry child. You won't have to hear just me anymore. In fact, you can hear several of me." Vlad barred his teeth in a sinister way, and as he did, four copies pulsated out of him, two on each side. Now facing 5 Vlad's Taylor backed away, defensive.

"As if one of him isn't annoying enough." Taylor said with annoyance. The Vlad's laughed evilly and moved forwards. They all stopped on key, held out one arm, and shot huge beams at her. Taylor didn't have a lot of time to react. She made her shield, but it didn't catch all the energy, she was blasted backwards with a scream, hitting something hard. She looked up in horror to see the real Vlad, his arms on her shoulders. He dug his nails into her skin tightly. Taylor gasped in pain and fear.

"Get away from me_! Stop!"_

Vlad chuckled evilly, and Taylor felt an electric pulse of energy shoot through her. When she opened her eyes, in front of her was en extremely evil looking copy of herself, her eyes bright red, smirking.

"Let me show you how powerful you can be if you'd just let your evil side unleash itself." Taylor's eyes widened as she watched the twisted copy of herself grin. Bright fangs showed as she looked back at the other Vlad clones. She laughed, but when she did, it was with Vlad's voice.

As she did, she sent a single energy pulse at the clones, and they all exploded it seemed, into ectoplasmic energy. Taylor screamed, closing her eyes. Vlad shielded her however, before any of the poisonous goo could hit her. Evil Taylor looked back, screamed, then too broke into goo.

"Don't you see Taylor?"

Vlad turned her around, Taylor struggling uselessly.

_Maybe Danny was right. Maybe I'm not strong enough yet to face him._

Taylor tried to look away, but Vlad held her chin steady.

"I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to help you." his voice was still rough, but softer.

"Help me become a jerk?"

"No, help you become a queen."

Taylor's eyes widened. "I'm only 16!"

Vlad shook his head. "You won't be forever."

" And you won't be anything if you don't let go of me!"

Vlad grinned evilly. "And you're going to stop me."

Taylor closed her eyes fearfully, but when she opened them, they were angry and determined.

"I will."

Vlad grinned, enjoying the control he had over her. "How will you child? Ultimately you will join me in the end."

"I won't!"

"How do you know?"

"I. WON'T!" Taylor closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were a bright red. For a moment she looked like her clone, and she screamed. As she did, a wave of energy pulsed through her hand, sending Vlad away from her with a start.

She stumbled away, startled by her emotions. She watched as Vlad stumbled to a stop in front of her.

Vlad dusted himself off, suddenly looking shaken. "Good one."

Taylor made a face, and crossed her arms tightly. She felt his negativity ebb away, and knew there was no immediate danger. She watched his face, but it became blank and. . .odd.

"I'd watch your friends if I were you Taylor, and furthermore. . . I'd watch myself." There was an odd look in his eyes, some sort of a warning. He knew something. Something big.

"Vlad?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you up to?"

"You'll find out."

"I'll what?" He turned to leave, but there were so many more things she wanted to know.

"Vlad would you just stop being an ass for once?!"

Vlad turned around and smirked. Then with a whirl of his cape, he disappeared.

Dazed, Taylor watched the spot he left. There was goo all around her, and it seemed to be burning the concrete. Taylor gasped as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. It was Danny, looking down at her with worry.

"You've been watching the whole time haven't you?" Taylor said, without looking at him.

" . . . Not the whole time." He said gently, a worried look on his face.

"Let's just get out of here." Taylor said quickly. She felt weak from the use of her powers.

Danny picked her up gently, and they flew down together off the building.

Sam and Tucker watched. For once, Tucker looked nervous. "Are you alright dude?" he asked warily. Taylor just shook her head frantically. "No! Vlad knows something. He's planning something." She didn't realize how panicked her voice sounded until Danny held her to him gently.

"Calm down. . .just calm down. . it's okay." Taylor sighed, fell limp, turning back into her human form.

Danny did the same, and he felt warmer that way. Taylor held him tighter. "I just . . ."

And then she was out like a light. Danny sighed. "Why did she have to get involved in this?" He held her closer, feeling guiltier than ever.

"Why couldn't I have just pretended she wasn't there?"

Sam looked slightly uncomfortable. Then she spoke. "Because you love her."

And it was simple.

As they stood, wondering what came next, they wished that everything could be that simple.

* * *

A/N: I've literally been so busy, time to write is just a fantasy. But I made this chapter extra long to make up for it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it ! 


	6. Breaking Down

(I promise more frequent updates- and I'm sorry for such a long wait! The next chapter is going to be very long :-p!)

(I don't own DP BTW)

**Chapter 6**

**Breaking Down  
**

* * *

"I'm warning you young lady! One more slip-up, and that Spring Break trip is gone!" her father threatened, his already tight face on the verge of tearing a muscle.

A barely conscious Taylor stood in front of her parents. Her long curly hair was matted with sweat, and her forehead was shining with exasperation. Normally bright brown eyes were bloodshot, and bags hung heavily below them. Her clothes were torn in several places, and her body looking slightly alien as it gained muscle.

Danny had smiled weakly as he led Taylor to the house- no doubt trying to ignore the death glare Taylor's father had given him. It was going to be a long ride from there, and he knew that they were all in trouble.

"But Dad!" Taylor whined, trying to think of some kind of excuse to why she had come home bruised and beaten.

"No buts! You need to learn responsibility before responsibility makes an example out of you!"

"But-"

"Your father is correct sweetheart." her mother agreed.

Taylor growled in defeat and anger. How could they be so simple minded? Didn't they realize what she was going through? They both claimed to be geniuses, but they couldn't see that their own daughter was fighting crime every night- doing the right thing.

"I am not going to be controlled anymore." she whispered angrily. "You two don't know the first thing about my life- so you can't even punish me fairly!"

"Oh yes we can!" her father replied. "And if you want your spring break trip- you'd better get those grades up."

"Oh a B! How fucking horrible!" Taylor screamed quite suddenly, startling both her parents.

"Taylor Marie Hector!" her mother said, her purple mug of coffee almost dropping from her hand.

She knew she had done it. Looking to both of them, lost for words, Taylor growled and stormed up the stairs, leaving two shocked parents in her wake.

"Lima beans!" she shouted roughly at the Tucker hologram guarding her room.

"Okay okay!" the hologram replied, gritting his teeth nervously and thrusting himself to the side so she could enter.

The calm atmosphere of her room did nothing to clam Taylor. She collapsed on her bed, shaking the hair out of her eyes. Darkness enveloped her completely- and a few rays of light from a street lamp hit her wall.

Taylor wished it would all go away- all of the fear and responsibility. It was hard to believe that just a time ago she was a carefree student in Delaware- worrying about her grades and what college she was going to attend. Now the weight of the world literally rested on her shoulders, with Danny of course.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" she muttered into her pillow helplessly.

In the next room she could faintly hear her parents talking in hushed voices- a very bad flaw most parents had. They were always too easy to hear. Taylor sat up in a crouching position, her eyes narrowing in the dim light.

"I don't know what's going on with her, but I'm worried." her father said in his usual concerned voice.

"She's a teenager! Of course she wants to be on her own." her mother answered, sounding just as lost.

"Tell me..when did we become the enemy?" her father asked.

"When we moved here.." her mother answered slowly.

There was silence before her father continued. " I don't know what we're going to do with her- but it has to be something."

Taylor groaned and flopped back down on her bed lifelessly. They never got it. Ever.

With thoughts of the fight swirling in her mind- Taylor fell asleep.

It was the only thing she could do

* * *

_I'm flying rapidly through the woods. I'm scared- frightened. The air is so thick that I can barely breathe. I'm trying not to lose my mind, but I feel it coming. I'm about to break because I can't stand this pain!_

_And there's a young girl..._

_She's standing in the woods..she's bleeding..._

"NO!"

Taylor shot up in her bed, sweat pouring down her face like water. Gasping for air, Taylor kicked the sheets away from her body and stumbled to the bathroom. The bright light made her flinch as she turned the light on.

When she looked into the mirror, a terrified and pale girl stared back at her. She could barely even recognize her own face.

"What' s happening to me..." she whispered fearfully.

"That's a good question." came a voice from behind her.

Taylor gasped and turned around to see Danny leaning against her doorframe, his hair looking slightly tussled as though he'd been flying.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." she greeted angrily. " I could have screamed and woken my parents up."

"Wouldn't want to do that." Danny agreed nervously.

He walked over to her, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Do you want to talk?"

Taylor turned from him, slightly annoyed. "About what?"

"You know what it is I'm talking about. The Serpent Ghost Stone."

Taylor scoffed and pushed by Danny into her room. He followed her relentlessly.

"I don't want to talk about it now. Okay?" she hissed, making sure not to wake her parents.

"And quite honestly- I wish we'd just forget the whole thing! This is impossible."

Danny sat near her on her bed and supportively took her in his arms. She remained stiff against him as he stroked her hair gently.

"I know this is hard. Maybe we all need a break."

Taylor looked up at him, slightly grinning. "Seriously?"

"Yes." he assured. "We'll leave tomorrow."

Taylor groaned. "But my parents-"

"Don't worry about them." Danny said with a wink. "They'll be over it by breakfast tomorrow."

* * *


	7. Sarah Walsh

**Chapter Seven:**

**

* * *

  
**

When Taylor woke the next day something was missing. Normally on a Saturday morning she would hear the news blaring through the walls, the chiming of forks and knives, and the low murmur of her father's voice through the floorboards. Today however, there was nothing at all. Just the low whispering of the wind and the churning of her stomach in the early morning. She wasn't hungry- but despite what she wanted to believe, she was nervous about this camping trip.

It wasn't like she _wanted_ to be. After all, how many times in a century did teens get to venture off by themselves into the mountains? Especially in light of all of the recent disappearances surrounding them. A sharp pang of nausea hit her like a wave as she thought about them- but now wasn't the time to worry about disappearing citizens.

Where had her parents gone to?

She decided it was best to get ready before she found out. The camping trip was obviously on. She just hoped that her parents still had their sanity when she finally found them again. Who knew what kind of freaky magic they'd been subjected to? Of course- Danny wouldn't do anything that dangerous.

Right?

_Wrong. _She grimaced as she made her way into the shower. The hot water felt good on her aching body. Everything was tense. Negativity effected her muscles the way her parent's jobs effected them. Taylor imagined an older- washed out version of herself in a business suit and cringed.

_That will never be me. _

When she came out of the shower it was 10. She quickly dressed and went downstairs. Greeted with silence, Taylor found her own thoughts maddening. Her brother was obviously out. She wasn't too sure how Sam was going to react to that.

_What the hell is going on? Where are they? _

A small envelope in the foyer answered her question. Her mother and father_ never_ left her notes. This had to be bad.

Or good?

. . . "Oh. My. God." Her hands shook as she opened the letter. What had Danny done? Was he insane?

_Dear Taylor:_

_Your father and I are going on Vacation to Cancoon! We'll be back when you are- Kisses and hugs! Love love love!_

_-Mommy_

Her eyes widened with disbelief. Surely this was the work of Danny's apparent new knack for possessing human bodies. She didn't know whether to laugh out loud or to cry. When her parents snapped out of their delirium she was going to be slaughtered and buried for the bugs to eat.

"Oh great great great." she hissed.

"Yeah isn't it?" came a voice from behind her.

Taylor shrieked and dropped the envelope. Before she could stop herself- large pink rays shot out of her eyes to the source of the sound. Another shriek was hurt- a shatter as her Mother's vase broke on contact- and then heavy clouds of smoke.

When it cleared she could see Danny on the floor- covering his shaking black head with two arms. Taylor's breath was heavy as she looked down at him- and he looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Are you trying to murder me?"

She trembled as she spoke. "Not...today."

There was a deafening silence- and then they both began to laugh. She shook her head and helped him up. "Who told you to phase into my house without asking?" She was very amused- but slightly serious as well. She never liked when he did that.

"Well, your parents didn't seem to have a problem with it after I got done..convincing them." Danny replied with a mischievous look. His eyes were lost in thought before they fell upon her face. "And besides. How do you think I used to spend time with you before we were going out?"

The smile of amusement dropped from Taylor's face abruptly. "_What?_!"

Danny looked fearful quite suddenly. "I was kidding. Seriously."

Taylor didn't seem to hear him though- she was lost in anger. "That was _you?_!"

"Well- no. It wasn't..I mean you know why-" but before he could start, she had almost blasted him into oblivion again- turning the already shattered vase into powder. Danny's head shot towards the mess, then towards the fuming Taylor. "You really _really _need to keep your anger in check."

Her moods changed like the weather Danny could see- and he wasn't sure if he liked her having ghost powers on top of it. Her power seemed to grow with her anger which was never a good sign. He frowned deeply as these thoughts ran through his head. Taylor saw his discomfort and tried to calm down as a result. She hated to see him sad- but she often made him that way whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"I'm guessing you already have my things ready." she said accurately, her eyes rather cold instead of angry.

"Yeah. . ." he responded slowly, standing up.

"Then we should leave while we still can. . "

Danny was going to ask her what she meant but figured it was best if he just stayed silent the remainder of the day. Taylor was in one of her obvious dark moods and he didn't want to risk ruining their whole camping trip.

When they stepped out of her house they were greeted to a cold and murky day. The sun was nowhere to be found, and rain slowly drizzled down in a mist from the heavens. Taylor casted her gaze upwards to where she saw a group of falcons circling in the sky. Her heart hammered faster against her chest; the birds oddly took shape of Vlad- his strong muscles becoming liquid like the movements of the birds, fluid like water. Her attention was captured so much in fact, that she barely took notice to the large RV parked right in front of her.

It was tall and white, though an odd green glow surrounded it from every angle. Large silver antennas stuck out from every direction. The windows were tinted today. Danny was obviously trying to keep them as safe as possible. Ironic really, considering they were more secure than all of the police forces in Amity Park. Two superheros. One advanced techno geek. A rich brainiac- and-

"HEY SIS!"

_One messed up pothead brother._

Her brother's pale face peaked out from under the truck. Taylor raised an eyebrow and settled her hands on her hips. "What are you doing?"

"Danny told me that he needed windshield wiper fluid replaced. Only with this weird uh, ecto..stuff." her brother Mike finished, eying the bottom of the van curiously.

Danny grinned. She could feel his amusement seeping into his skin. Not only was she able to feel negative energy now- but positive energy. The negativity in the world was just so much stronger- but that was no shock.

"Thanks bro." Danny said, giving him a hand as he stumbled to his feet. Mike dusted off his pants and clasped his hands together. He reminded her of their mother when he did that. Taylor grimaced.

"I didn't know you were coming."

Mike pointed to the van. "Sam invited me!"

"It figures she would." Taylor muttered darkly.

There was an awkward silence in which Danny scratched his head. "Well we'd better get going. . . No time to sit and wait, you know?" he looked at Mike with a wink. Somehow Taylor got the feeling that the disappearance and sudden vacationing of her parents weren't the work of Danny alone.

Something about Danny's kindness towards her brother was forced. Taylor wondered just how hard he was really trying. Danny's insecurity towards his relationship with Sam unsettled Taylor. She wondered why he cared so much- and if it was just for friendship alone. Of course, it was silly to doubt Danny. He'd shown signs of only loving _her_. But as she got into her seat besides Sam who was eying Mike with love, she wondered just how much of a coincidence it was that Sam suddenly fell for her brother. Right in front of Danny.

This wasn't good.

* * *

The weather didn't change. Taylor could feel the negativity in the air. With the rate they were going they would be at the camp in a mere few hours. She wondered if this was a good idea- watching Danny clumsily drive the RV.

Sam's head was rested on her brother's shoulder. He himself was slumped against Tucker, who was too lost in his PSP to notice. Taylor smiled at the site softly. They all were too funny. Too cute.

Annoying too, but she loved them regardless.

Taylor watched Danny with wonder, taking in his appearance. His light blue eyes. His long black hair, the way his hands fumbled clumsily with the controls. That sharp look of concentration. She smiled.

He noticed.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"Nothing. . ." Taylor responded quickly, turning her gaze away.

"No. . What's on your mind?"he continued. She could hear the flaming curiosity in his voice. Could he feel her emotions too?

"Like I said, nothing."

Her voice was cold. Danny thought it best to not pursue the conversation. They were already on bad terms and he didn't know why. He sensed her jealously- those waves dancing in her eyes as she clasped her hands together and turned her head away. What on this planet could Taylor be jealous of? Taylor- with her beauty and attitude. Taylor, one of the most powerful figures in the world.

But she didn't know it yet. And he didn't either.

"Oh God I'm so fucking _hungry_"they both heard suddenly. Mike was awake.

"Figures the first thing that comes out of your mouth is about food." Taylor teased with a smirk.

"Hey. I'm a growing man. I need mah foods."

"You mean a growing _boy_?" Sam corrected. She was awake too. Taylor would have laughed at that comment had she not been suspicious of her.

Tucker still didn't seem to care.

"STEAK"Taylor called.

His PSP dropped. "Steak?" He shot his head towards her. "What's this about steak?"

"I don't know." Taylor answered back.

" You know how he is about meat." Danny said with a grin.

"Even if it's_ wrong_." Sam countered.

"Damn vegetarians." Taylor said teasingly.

"Animals are a fundamental part of-" but before she could finish, Danny cleared his throat loudly.

"It's obvious we all need food. Let's just calm down. I see a town ahead. Maybe there's something we can find."

The town was dark. That's all there was to it. And it wasn't because of the rain clouds either. Tall gray buildings stood crookedly on their developments. The old sidewalks ran into the road, which threatened to cave in at any moment. Cracks formed like spiderwebs across the dark pavement. A few old graveyards with rotting tombstones blended in to this grotesque concoction, making the place anything but friendly.

They found a place called Cady's Cafe. It was a small diner that looked very out of place compared to the rest of the town. Faded red curtains and a bright neon OPEN sign flickered menacingly into their vision as they stopped the RV.

"Well, this looks promising." Danny said oddly.

"Yeah real promising. I can just smell it." Taylor added sarcastically.

They kids clamored their way up the broken stairs. When they entered the Cafe, they could smell meat cooking in the kitchen. Inside was even grimier than the outside though, and Taylor took in her surroundings with distaste. The faded wooden walls were pealing, and the dirty brown carpet was in even worse shape than the large red booths that were cracking open. White pillows of fluff stuck out of them awkwardly.

A tall Waitress wearing a hairnet approached them with menus.

"Welcm' tuh Cay-dy's Cafay." she drawled, her eyes looking very dead indeed.

"Wuldya liktah takeah seat?"

Taylor nodded politely. At least the waitress was competent enough to greet them. But as they sat down in the huge booth, she felt claustrophobic. Especially since Danny was seated on the other side near Sam.

"Want I give you-a min?" the waitress asked.

"Yes, please." Sam answered gracefully. Taylor tried not to listen to her voice. Each syllable she spoke annoyed her. And she didn't even understand why. Now that Danny was next to Sam, she found no sign of chemistry or desire between them. And there couldn't be right?

She hoped.

The waitress came back with four steaming cups of coffee in large brown mugs. They clinked together on the small tray she carried, splashing and sloshing. Taylor took her cup gratefully. The weather was as cold as it was dreary.

They ordered their food. Taylor just wanted a small order of bacon. She wasn't as hungry as she was last night.

The murmur of her friends didn't capture her attention. A small television box was in the corner. A few cold looking men muttered to themselves at the bar, watching the pointy chinned man on the screen.

When the image of a pale young girl flashed on the screen, a sharp pain shot through Taylor's head. Taylor let out a strangled cry and gripped her head, jamming her eyes closed as the burning pain crippled her.

"What's wrong?" she heard a panicked Danny ask. A cool hand fell on her forehead, and she opened her watering eyes.

_She's running. I can see it. Horrible red eyes following her...laughs- laughing red eyes. She's screaming- running. They're fast. What are they? They aren't human. . . _

Taylor pointed a shaking hand at the television.

"_. . And the bizarre disappearance and later murder of a young girl Sarah Walsh. . " t_he newscaster drawled. . .

"Vlad" Taylor whispered fearfully.

Mike's face was plastered with fear. Tucker's eyes looked wide and confused. Sam looked over at Taylor, and she forgot her anger as she nodded her head in understanding. Sam knew what it was like to feel negativity. She apparently could her whole life. Danny reached over and grabbed Taylor's hands in his.

"Do you want to leave?"

"No. . . " Taylor murmured. "No. . . our food is here anyway." she added quickly, noticing the lucky appearance of their waitress with plates full of bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Taylor didn't take a bite. She kept her eyes fixed away from the television. The negativity she got just from one picture sent her mind into a frenzy of questions. That girl was yet another odd disappearance. And somehow she knew Vlad had something to do with it. If there was anything she knew for a fact- Vlad didn't have a problem treating young girls as prey.

She was glad when Mike finally stood up to leave. Everyone was oddly quiet as they piled out of the Cafe. Taylor was glad to be rid of it. But the Sarah Walsh's eyes kept staring back at her from a world of pain. She could still see the fear and torment as she breathed her last breath.

"Only a few hours until we hit camp." Danny said happily.

And as they drove away from the rotting Cafe, Taylor had a feeling that she would be breathing her last breath soon enough.

* * *

A/N: I've been gone for awhile I know! But I'm back in business :-D Reviews please ;-)


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